2012 Employer Health Benefits Survey

Section 4: Types of Plans Offered

Most firms that offer health benefits offer only one type of health plan (82%) (See Text Box). Larger firms are more likely to offer more than one type of health plan. Employers are most likely to offer their workers a PPO, HMO, or HDHP/SO plan and are least likely to offer a conventional plan.

  • Eighty-two percent of firms offering health benefits in 2012 offer only one type of health plan. Large firms (200 or more workers) are more likely to offer more than one plan type than small firms (3-199 workers): 45% vs. 17% (Exhibit 4.1).
  • Over half (52%) of covered workers are employed in a firm that offers more than one health plan type. Sixty-five percent of covered workers in large firms (200 or more workers) are employed by a firm that offers more than one plan type, compared to 26% in small firms (3-199 workers) (Exhibit 4.2).
  • Three quarters (75%) of covered workers in firms offering health benefits work in a firm that offers one or more PPOs; 39% work in firms that offer one or more HDHP/SOs; 37% work in firms that offer one or more HMOs; 14% work in firms that offer one or more POS plans; and 4% work in firms that offer one or more conventional plans (Exhibit 4.4). 1

The survey collects information on a firm’s plan with the largest enrollment in each of the plan types.  While we know the number of plan types a firm has, we do not know the total number of plans a firm offers. In addition, firms may offer different types of plans to different workers. For example, some workers might be offered one type of plan at one location, while workers at another location are offered a different type of plan.

1/5

Section 4: Types of Plans Offered

exhibits

Among Firms Offering Health Benefits, Percentage of Firms That Offer One, Two, or Three or More Plan Types, by Firm Size, 2012
Percentage of Covered Workers in Firms Offering One, Two, or Three or More Plan Types, by Firm Size, 2012
Among Firms Offering Health Benefits, Percentage of Firms That Offer the Following Plan Types, by Firm Size, 2012
Among Firms Offering Health Benefits, Percentage of Covered Workers in Firms That Offer the Following Plan Types, by Firm Size, 2012
Among Firms Offering Only One Type of Health Plan, Percentage of Covered Workers in Firms That Offer the Following Plan Type, by Firm Size, 2012
Section 3: Employee Coverage, Eligibility, and Participation Section 5: Market Shares of Health Plans
x

Exhibit 4.1

x

Exhibit 4.2

x

Exhibit 4.4

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.