As you set out to select a health plan, sifting through the sea of options can be overwhelming. With so many plans to choose from, how are you supposed to distinguish between those that will deliver quality care and those that won't? Sometimes it can feel like you'd need a crystal ball to tell whether a given plan will end up meeting your expectations or falling flat. 

Many plans try to convince you of their worth by simply inundating you with information. To identify the highest-quality health plans in your lengthy list of options, however, just a few characteristics end up making all the difference. As you evaluate potential health plans, look closely at these indicators, as they can point you toward the highest-quality option:

Companies looking to take more control over their healthcare costs may choose to adopt self-funded plans, where they trade fixed insurance rates for direct payment of claims. While employers are forced to assume more risk for occasional hefty charges, they gain flexibility and tighter control over how their healthcare dollars are used. Not only can companies avoid excess spending that would otherwise end up as profit for insurance companies, but they also qualify for lower tax rates than other health plans, saving costs across the board. 

Often, people opt for high-deductible health insurance plans if they do not believe that high monthly premium payments are worth the care they expect to receive in the coming year. This is particularly true for healthy young people, who typically consume fewer health services each year than those older than them.

With budgets constricting and health insurance plans rising, many organizations are considering making the switch away from fully insured health plans in favor of cost-cutting self-funded plans. Although they can be more risky, a self-funded strategy can ease the financial burden on companies that are able to manage them well.

If you have a vending machine in your workplace, but haven't given much thought regarding its contents, you may be unwittingly contributing to your employees' unhealthy lifestyles by not creating a healthy workplace.

Large employers across the nation are preparing for the so-called “Cadillac Tax” on employee medical benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer mandate.  Unfortunately, more businesses will be impacted by this mandate than what was expected.  It seems like the ACA is a study in “unintended consequences.”  To understand the how’s and why’s of the Cadillac Tax, we must go back to the origins of the ACA.

Learn more about Kelsey-Seybold's Accountable Care Organization's (ACO) model and other health plans.

Using an innovative, coordinated care model, Kelsey-Seybold is able to provide exceptionally high-quality healthcare to subscribers, with up to 20 percent comparative cost savings for employers.

The high cost of prescription medications is a tough hurdle that can negatively impact patients' quality of life.  This underscores the importance of giving employees access to cost-effective pharmacy and prescription drug programs. KelseyCare's Pharmacy Quality Improvement Program, gives members the tools needed to navigate today's fluctuating medical sphere with confidence.