Are there really any significant number of employers about to install or have recently installed any of these "new" consumer directed or DC healthplans or is it still marketing hype (hope)?

Would love to get some feedback about the selling activities also? Have you been getting many offers or solicitations? If yes, are these multiple solicitations from a few vendors or are there many vendors?

I have been doing some research on these plans.

Here are links to two articles you may want to check. Both are by lawyers but they are up to date on the IRS guidance.

http://www.kilstock.com/site/print/detail?...Article_Id=1101
http://www.groom.com/articles_display.asp?display=208

If you are looking for information on what's actually being marketed, that is harder to find. You may want to check the websites below for some of the companies out there.

http://www.myhealthbank.com/index.jsp
http://www.lumenos.com/public
http://www.definityhealth.com/marketing/home.html

I hope this helps and please keep me informed on any other valuable information you find. Good Luck!

Help!! I've been doing the research, too. There are things that sound very good, but and I'm getting conflicting information from different consultants. What is the final answer on ownership issues in relation to HRA's? One consultant says it is more liberal because it follows 105 rules and another says it follows 125 rules. It would make a huge difference to the owner of my Sub S Corporation.

Help!! I've been doing the research, too. There are things that sound very good, but and I'm getting conflicting information from different consultants. What is the final answer on ownership issues in relation to HRA's? One consultant says it is more liberal because it follows 105 rules and another says it follows 125 rules. It would make a huge difference to the owner of my Sub S Corporation.

Check jhickman@alston.com They have a great document on this matter and they put on a seminar at the SPBA meeting this year on the topic.

A lot of companies are setting up HRAs in different forms. One TPA firm I work with has done over 20 already by simply going to existing clients with self-funded health plans and offering HRAs as an additional option.

Carma's question on "ownership" is not sufficiently clear. Ownership of the account? Of the health insurance policy? Is a funded or unfunded model being used?

There are currently many more questions than answers and IRS/Treasury are aware of that situation. I met with several IRS and Treasury officials recently to discuss several unanswered questions and they are assuredly working on developing a consistent approach with answers to the questions. However, if you have specific questions I can give you updated information based on their oral representations both to my group as well as those made to the ECFC and the ABA in sessions relative to those issues.

For those researching consumer driven plans... You may want to ask the provider if it's program can meet the following objectives before you make a decision:

*Does NOT require a high deductible plan - it can be difficult for employees to embrace the idea of an increased deductible
*Simple in design - easy for employees and HR to understand
*Simple to administer - should not overburden HR staff
*Inexpensive - look for a high return on investment. Savings from the program should not be replaced by new cost to administer the plan
*Flexibility - does it allow you to keep your current relationships with TPA's, networks, PBM, brokers, plan designs, etc?
*Prevent adverse selection- does it cost sick employees more? If so, what if only the healthy ones sign up which could potentially could cost the employer more in the long haul
*Provide incentive for all participants - does it provide opportunity for both healthy and sick employees to save?
*Be customized
*Provide wellness and preventative measures and incentives
*Be measureable - can results be measured in terms of actual dollars saved as a result of the company implementing a consumer driven program. Is the employer actually saving anything if mostly the healthy employees participate, receive a rollover, and costs for the sick keep skyrocketing.

Good luck!