Consumer-Driven Healthcare Taking Hold in Indianapolis Market

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of healthcare market intelligence, reports that the emphasis on consumer-driven health plans by key players in the Indianapolis healthcare market have created an environment where these plans could prove to be quite successful. According to the latest Indianapolis Market Overview, health plans, employer groups, health systems and even the state government have all made strides in making these plans available as additional product offerings.

"Even though consumer-driven penetration remains relatively low in the state, it is double the national average, according to a recent study," states Mark Cherry, market overview analyst for HealthLeaders-InterStudy and author of the report.

Anthem, the clear health plan leader in the market, and its parent company, WellPoint, have been creating the infrastructure to support such plans -- wellness programs, online health records, pay-for-performance programs -- while enticing large employers with lower premiums.

Eli Lilly and Co. pharmaceuticals, one of the area's largest employers, added two high-deductible plans for 2007, a health savings account and a health reimbursement arrangement, and eliminated the remaining offerings except the Anthem PPO, the most popular option. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance completely replaced traditional plans in 2006 with three high-deductible plans. The state of Indiana, which began offering HSAs in 2006, is cutting one of its PPO options to employees, and state workers must choose between one PPO, one HMO and two consumer-driven plans.

  Other news in the Indianapolis market:    * Indiana's managed Medicaid program signed new contracts with three      health plans -- Anthem, Centene and MDWise -- and includes a revised      program that allows the plans to operate statewide and provides better      negotiating leverage against participating physicians.    * Governor Mitch Daniels has proposed raising the cigarette tax by 25      cents to expand healthcare coverage to 120,000 of the state's poorest      uninsured population.    About Market Overviews 

Market Overviews provide a detailed analysis of local healthcare markets, allowing healthcare businesses to plan their local strategies.

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   For more information, contact:     Kelly Morphy    HealthLeaders-InterStudy    615-369-4818    kmorphy@healthleaders-interstudy.com 

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SOURCE: HealthLeaders-InterStudy