The nation's largest companies expect the cost of their healthcare benefits to rise an average 7% in 2013, according to findingsreleased Monday by the National Business Group on Health.

Although the rate is a slight dip from earlier years, employersare eyeing a variety of cost-control measures.

While the majority – 60% – plan to slightly increase thepercentage of the premium paid by employees, these employers arecounting on consumer-driven health plans and wellness initiativesto stem costs. They're also boosting financial incentives to engageworkers in healthy lifestyles.

This is a major change from last year, when employers citedcost-shifting as the most effective measure to control costs.

“Despite keeping cost increases steady for next year, providinghigh quality, affordable health care remains a top priority foremployers. HR leaders need to keep the pressure on to controlhealth care cost increases, increase consumerism and individualaccountability, use all of the tools and resources available toempower consumers to be wiser purchasers and support them to choosehealthier lifestyles. At the same time they must continue to stayon top of the ever changing regulatory environment, and adapt thedesign of their health plans as necessary,” said NBGH President andCEO Helen Darling, who spoke Monday before the National Press Clubin Washington, D.C.

Bottom line, Darling emphasized, employees will be increasinglyon the hook for identifying their own risk factors and for doingtheir part to control rising benefits costs. According to thesurvey, 43% of employers cited a CDHP as the most effectivecost-control tactic followed by wellness programs (19%). Less thanone in 10 (9%) respondents reported increased employee cost-sharingas the most effective tactic.

The NBGH survey of companies that range from less than 10,000full-time employees to more than 100,000 also parallels severalrecent surveys of employers of all sizes that there may be a slightdecline in the number that offer employer-sponsored healthinsurance. Beyond a decade, that number may increase, Darling said,but in the near-term, only a fraction of employers are looking todrop benefits (reports estimates range from 1% to 30%).

Instead, they'll concentrate on ways to help employees keeptheir benefits at an affordable price. But workers will need tochange their lifestyle.

“There's a movement now towards paying employees to participatein health improvement programs or to make changes that will givethem a healthier lifestyle. Employers generally continue toexperiment with and perfect the best ways to incorporate financialincentives into their wellness programs.”

Darling said that in 2013, the median amount that an employeecan earn by living a healthy lifestyle and/or participating in awellness program will increase to $450 – that's a 50% jumpfrom $300 this year.

The survey found that employers – in their efforts to engageemployees in healthy behaviors and lifestyles – continue toexperiment with and perfect the best ways to incorporate financialincentives into wellness programs. While nearly half of respondents(48%) use incentives to encourage participation in programs, someemployers are basing incentives on specific health outcomes. Morethan four in 10 (44%) provide an incentive based upon tobacco-usestatus while three in 10 (29%) base awards upon achievement ofoutcomes such as BMI or cholesterol levels. Just under one-fourthof respondents (22%) take a different approach – applyingsurcharges to employees for not participating in certainprograms.

Changes as a Result of Health Care Reform

Respondents were asked what changes they made or are planning tomake as regulations from the Affordable Care Act continue to comeinto effect. The survey found the following:

• Annual Benefit Limits: Half of all respondents(50%) indicated they no longer have any annual benefit limits inplace, while nearly one-third (32%) reported that they did not makeany changes to their annual limits this year. Among employersmaking changes for 2013, the most common benefits requiringadjustments to their annual limits were mental health and substanceabuse (9%) and rehabilitative services and devices (9%).
• Grandfather Status: The majority ofrespondents (57 percent) did not have any benefit option ingrandfather status this year, compared to 49% last year. However,more than one-fourth (27%) will have at least one grandfatheredhealth plan this year.
• Health Insurance Exchanges: More thanhalf of respondents (51%) believe that some retirees might findstate health insurance exchanges to be a viable option for healthinsurance. More than one-third (38%) felt that exchanges could bean option for COBRA plan participants while 35% felt that part-timeemployees might consider exchanges.

“Rising health care costs continue to plague employers at analarming rate,” Darling said. “Although cost increases havestabilized somewhat, they are still on a higher base from last yearand are simply not sustainable, especially when our nation'seconomy and workers' wages are virtually flat and everybody isstruggling.”

This article was orginally posted on BenefitsPro.com, a sister site of CreditUnion Times.