Benchmarking

Surveys

• Quick Surveys provide an opportunity for members to poll other members on particular targeted issues. Survey results are available immediately to participants and reports are posted on the website with other topic resources.
  
  
• Plan Design Survey is an annual opportunity for members to share their anticipated plan design changes for the upcoming year. This survey is launched each spring, with preliminary results presented at the June Employer Summit on Health Care Costs and Solutions.
  
  
• In-Depth Surveys: Surveys on key health issues are designed to gather in-depth information for our members to utilize.
  
  
• Employee Surveys: The Business Group undertakes surveys of employees of large employers to understand how employees approach a variety of topics related to employees' health. Our most recent survey, conducted in the spring of 2009 surveyed approximately 1,500 employees of large employers on how the recession has impacted their overall health, their healthcare decision making and how they value their employer-sponsored health benefits.

  The Recession's Toll on Employee Health (May 2009)
  Engaging Employees and Their Families to Achieve Optimal Health (October 2008)
  Employees and Health Care Decision Making Full Report (December 2007)
  Employees and Health Care Decision Making Supplemental Report (January 2008)
  Employees and their Health Benefits: Perceptions, Values and Trade-offs (April 2007)

• Collaborative Surveys:
  • The National Business Group on Health/Towers Watson, Inc. Employer Survey on Purchasing Value in Healthcare: To help determine how employers are using incentives, their thoughts on health care reform and the latest trends in consumer-directed health plans and health management programs, National Business Group on Health/Towers Watson conduct an annual employer survey. Recent reports include:
    • Raising the Bar on Health Care: Moving Beyond Incremental Change: The 2010 survey report focuses on what companies are doing to control costs and build a healthier and more productive workforce as they continue to struggle during the economic downtown.
    • The Keys to Continued Success: Lessons Learned From Consistent Performers: 2009 Survey Report: This year's report includes an analysis of what consistent performing companies have done to keep health care cost increases at or below median trend for the last four years, as well as a review of what changes employers are planning for 2010.
    • The One Percent Strategy: Lessons Learned from Best Performers: 2008 Survey Report: This report presents the finding on what large employers are doing or planning for 2009 in terms of consumer-directed health care, wellness programs and retiree medical.
  • 2009/2010 Staying@Work™ Survey: Conducted by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health, this year's survey found that companies with effective health and productivity programs are more likely to have lower health care costs, lower levels of presenteeism, fewer lost days due to disabilities, lower levels of turnover and overall better financial outcomes.
  • The National Business Group on Health/Fidelity Investments’ Survey: Employer Investments in Improving Employee Health: This survey of large employers provides details on the types of programs employers are offering to improve employee health, the challenges they have faced and estimates on what employers are spending on health improvement.
    • Improving Health Outcomes in 2010: This brief provides a review of the findings from the joint survey as well as recommendations on steps employers can take to improve their health improvement efforts.

Benchmarking Tools

• Estimated 2010 Cost Projections
  This document summarizes the latest research on what employers can expect in terms of health care cost increases in 2010.
  
  
• Controlling Health Care Costs: What Employers Should Do (Top Solutions)
  This Check List summarizes the top solutions used by large employers to control health care costs and provides clickable links to Solutions Online and other key resources produced by the National Business Group on Health.
  
  
• Health Care Cost Drivers: 2009 Update (Issue Brief)
  This Issue Brief summarizes the latest national health expenditure data with projections to 2018, and recommends the top 10 cost-management tactics in controlling the rising cost of providing health benefits while improving medical quality and patient safety.
  
  
• Controlling Health Care Spending in the United States (Slide Deck)
  This executive series presentation looks at the drivers of health care spend and provides solutions that will help control costs and improve quality and effectiveness of care. This material is prepared to be adapted or customized for the unique culture and challenges of your company.
  
  
• Summary of Cost Analyses of Employment Based Care, provides a succinct summary of benefits consulting firms and research organizations' surveys forecasting what the employer health care cost trend will be for the next year. This tool is updated periodically as new studies are released.
  
  
• Solutions Online: Solutions Online documents key health benefit management strategies and tactics to help you know if a solution is right for your company. It also links you to other NBGH products and more information on specific approaches. Solutions Online catalogs much of the key benchmarking data we gather.

Respond to Members' Benchmarking Needs