No premium increases for 2015 Purdue medical plans

September 26, 2014  


Purdue faculty and staff will have no increases in medical plan premiums in 2015, and Human Resources is crediting better health care consumerism as the reason. The Purdue Board of Trustees approved the 2015 premiums and medical plans today (Sept. 26).

In addition to keeping premiums unchanged, Purdue will continue to offer the same three medical plan options next year without changes in deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximum.

A small adjustment will lower the fee for acute or chronic condition care at the Center for Healthy Living. This year, participants in Purdue's two high-deductible plans pay a flat fee of $45 per office visit for such care; next year, the fee will be reduced to $40. Participants in the Purdue Health Plan, which is the University's third medical plan option, will continue to have a $10 copay for services at the center. Preventive services will still be provided at no charge on all three plans.

"Our goal has been to keep the premiums and the plan designs the same for another year so that we can see the true effect over time of the changes we put into place in 2014," says Eva Nodine, director of benefits in Human Resources. "I'm pleased that 2015 will give all of us a second year of experience to evaluate. Where we go from here will depend on our claims cost."

Nodine attributes this year's positive claims experience to employees becoming better health care consumers. In 2013, 24 percent of Purdue faculty and staff opted for a high-deductible medical plan. This year, 73 percent of Purdue employees are in a high-deductible plan.

"Our faculty and staff have embraced these high-deductible plans in a big way," Nodine says. "Most organizations take five to six years to see the increase in high-deductible plan enrollment that we experienced in just a single year."

According to Nodine, individuals often become better health care consumers when they're covered by a high-deductible medical plan. "We've seen an increase in registered Castlight users, which indicates that Purdue people are looking for high-quality health care at a cost-effective price," she says.

To help faculty and staff in their efforts to be wise consumers, Purdue will continue to offer Castlight and will once again provide the Truven Informed Enrollment tool so that employees can estimate which 2015 medical plan may be best for them.

"Staying as healthy as you can be is one of the most important consumer tips," Nodine says. "In addition to acute and chronic condition care, which has a modest fee, our Center for Healthy Living provides numerous health management and wellness offerings throughout the year at no cost to our benefits-eligible faculty and staff."

Wellness programs are also available at the Calumet, Fort Wayne and North Central campuses.

The center's recent or current offerings include courses related to diabetes, asthma, tobacco cessation and weight management. Other no-cost services include medication therapy management, health coaching, registered dietitian services and employee assistance counseling. Spouses and same-sex domestic partners covered on a Purdue medical plan are also eligible for these services without charge. 

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