Group Benefits Surveys

What are top-performing companies doing – or not doing – to achieve lower-than-average cost increases in employee health benefits? How does Michigan compare to national benchmarks? How are Michigan employers responding and adapting to Health Care Reform? Answers to these questions, data for decision-making, and more are gathered in the annual McGraw Wentworth Mid-Market Group Benefit Survey.

Why an annual survey?

  • Michigan is a unique environment when it comes to benefit plans – national data does not always reflect the trends in this region. 
  • National data is typically a year out of date when it is released. 
  • Employers can use survey data to determine where they are at in terms of the market. 
  • Timing is important — our survey is released just before most organizations start planning for the following year. 
  • McGraw Wentworth has the flexibility to ask about the issues that are important to Michigan employers.

    • What is benchmarked?

  • The usage trend and cost impact of health care benefit strategies, such as higher deductibles, tiered co-pays, Wellness incentives, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), spousal surcharges, and smoker surcharges. 
  • The current Total Cost Ratio of what Michigan employers and employees pay for benefits — including premiums, employee payroll contributions and out-of-pocket costs. 
  • TrendBendersTM – high-performing trend-setting organizations that have successfully kept average cost increases low over the past two years – are identified and their plan design strategies shared.


    • McGraw Wentworth 2013 Survey 

Data gathering for the 2013 Southeast Michigan Mid-Market Group Benefits Survey begins January 3, 2013.
To learn more about and to participate in this landmark survey, please contact Mitsy Morris at (248)822-6240, Claudia Cartwright at (248)822-6261 or Linda Vance at (248)822-6273.

Some of the 2012 Survey results:

  • Employer health care costs after plan changes increased by an average of 6% for employers in the survey.
  • Concerns surrounding specialty drug costs are driving an increase in the use of four-tier and five-tier copay plans.  In 2012, 31% of plans included a fourth copay tier, compared to only 19% in 2011.
  • TrendBenders – high-performing organizations with the lowest average annual increases over two years – are early-adopters of Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHP) and wellness options are and keeping costs flat.  Their health benefit plan cost increases averaged 3% or lower over two years after plan design changes. 
  • 85% of mid-size employers are likely to “play” – continue to offer health care coverage to full-time employees in 2014 – rather than “pay” the penalties entailed in discontinuing coverage.  This is similar to the national projection of 90%.


Media Contact
Ryan Bowers, 248-822-6231, rbowers@mcgrawwentworth.com


To participate in the Survey in 2013

Southeast Michigan organizations contact: Claudia Cartwright (248-822-6261, ccartwright@mcgrawwentworth.com) or Mitsy Morris (248-822-6240, mmorris@mcgrawwentworth.com)

K-12 Public Schools contact: Linda Vance (248-822-6273, lvance@mcgrawwentworth.com)

Municipalities/Local Government contact: Mitsy Morris (248-822-6240, mmorris@mcgrawwentworth.com)

 

Further information may be found in: