Two new issue briefs from URAC track rise of consumer empowerment in health care

URAC, the independent, nonprofit company in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs, announced the release of two new issue briefs tracking the progress and challenges of the ripening consumer-centered era in health care. The issue briefs are available online at URACís web site, www.urac.org (see links below).

The issue briefs highlight URACís expanding focus on how to further protect and empower consumers in an increasingly more consumer-driven health care benefits and management environment. In June 2005, URAC released its Consumer Education and Support (CES) standards, the nationís first accreditation standards to address quality within consumer-directed health plans. These plans call upon consumers to make more of their own decisions about health coverage and personal health choices.

ìConsumerism Takes Center Stage As Newest Solution to Health Careís High Costsî takes the purchaserís perspective on the rapid rise of consumer-directed health care plans. The issue brief features the voices of Jerry Burgess, president and chief executive officer of the Knoxville, Tenn.-based HealthCare 21 Coalition, and Arnold Milstein, MD, MPH, medical director of the Pacific Business Group on Health and U.S. Thought Leader for Mercer Health & Benefits.

ìTransforming Health Care: A Consumer-Centered Model Takes Hold in the Information Ageî is positioned from the consumer perspective. It features the voices of Grace-Marie Turner, founder and president of the Galen Institute, the Washington, D.C.-based public policy research organization, and Craig Froude, executive vice president and general manager of WebMD Health Services, a part of WebMD.

Consumer-directed health plans-- high-deductible plans combined with a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or health savings account (HSA)óare a small but fast-growing segment of the health care market. Between January 2005 to January 2006, the number of enrollees and dependents covered by these plans increased from about 3 million to between about 5 and 6 million, according to an April 2006 report from the Government Accountability Office .

ìThis trend requires consumers to make significant choices about their coverage and about their personal health, shifting employers to the role of facilitator rather than health plan purchaser,î said Marianne Fazen, PhD, executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health, chair of the Board of Governors of the National Business Coalition on Health and a member of URACís Board of Directors. ìURAC has taken a much-needed leadership role in protecting and empowering consumers through its CES standards, which require accredited plans to ensure consumers have the price and quality information they need to make informed choices in this new environment.î

The issue briefs track the transition in the health plan market from a managed care mindset focusing on limiting care, to the new consumer-centered era that will rely on active consumer participation to succeed. Both briefs tackle the challenges presented by a market that is rapidly expanding but has not yet matured.

ìThese issue briefs demonstrate not only the current status of these plans, but also shed light on the path ahead,î said Alan Spielman, URACís president and chief executive officer. ìLeadership is demonstrated in this environment by health plans which work to give consumers the tools and information they need to make choices based on both price and quality. URAC CES accreditation helps purchasers and consumers identify which plans are doing just that.î

Spielman said URACís recent announcement to craft a first-ever set of accreditation standards for prescription benefits management reflects the organizationís focus on identifying trends and meeting needs in an evolving health care market.

ìURAC leadership in health care management and consumer protection and empowerment is one key aspect of our overall strategic focus,î he said. ìThrough our research and educational activities, URAC is uniquely positioned to recognize trends and design accreditation programs that emphasize quality and safety in the dynamic health care climate.î

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