An evaluation of CT’s state employee Health Enhancement
Program (HEP)
published in
Health Affairs found improved access to primary care, reductions in ED use,
but has not produced savings. HEP is an early adopter of the Value-Based
Insurance Design (VBID) model, linking consumer costs to the value of care.
Implemented in 2011, HEP encourages preventive care and chronic care disease
management with lower premiums and deductibles combined with $35 copays for non-emergency
ED visits. Before HEP, per person spending in CT’s program was $7,914, far
higher than a matched comparison group from other state employee programs at
$4,375, almost three times as many CT state employees had high health costs
(over $50,000), and ED use was 56% higher. Over 98% of members enrolled in HEP
and utilization of preventive care rose significantly. ED visits dropped by a modest
amount while visits in the comparison group rose. Results for members with
chronic conditions were mixed and modest. Not unexpectedly, in the first two
years costs per person rose – by $730 in the first year and $961 in the second.
CT
Mirror’s coverage points out that this is due to increases in use of
preventive care and reports that the state expects to benefit in the long term
from this investment in the health of employees.
