A new type of third-party-reimbursement healthcare payment plan is emerging in
the United States. CDHPs strive to control costs and improve quality of care by
requiring consumers to take control of their own healthcare decisions. Consumers
decide how they want to spend their healthcare dollars, depending on what is
important to them. CDHPs are geared to encourage participants to enroll in some
type of wellness program and improve their lifestyles. Specific types of CDHPs are
health reimbursement accounts (HRA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and
health savings accounts (HSA).
However, there are concerns about CDHPs. The consumer may neither
understand nor have the education and the tools to manage his or her own
healthcare appropriately. This may have long-term ramifications on the whole
healthcare system and whether CDHPs can be successful for the consumer, the
employer, the physician, and the healthcare facilities, as well as the insurers.
Answer the following questions in regard to this development:
• Summarize the history of when, how, and why CDHPs were developed.
• Explain HSA, HRA, and FSA with examples.
• Examine different segments of the population. Describe which
socioeconomic group is likely to benefit the most from CDHPs.
• Explain the types of incentives to providers for efficiency in the delivery of
healthcare services. Explain who bears the financial risk—the provider, the
patient, or the CDHP.
• Offer your recommendations for patients considering a CDHP, including
which types are appropriate for which patients. Include your
