Those in Consumer-driven Health Plans More Educated, Healthier, Wealthier

Those enrolled in “consumer-driven” health plans tend to have higher incomes, higher educational levels, and report better health behavior than do those in traditional health plans, according to a new report by EBRI that examines trends over the 2005–2011 period.

Consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) generally consist of high-deductible health plans (HDHP) with either a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or Health Savings Account (HSA). As of 2011, roughly 21 million individuals, representing about 12 percent of the market, were either in a CDHP or an HSA-eligible health plan.

The full report, “Characteristics of the Population With Consumer-Driven and High-Deductible Health Plans, 2005–2011,” is published in the April 2012 EBRI Notes. The press release is online here.