2012 Employer Health Benefits Survey
Section 5: Market Shares of Health Plans
Enrollment remains highest in PPOs, with more than half of covered workers, followed by HDHP/SOs, HMOs, POS plans, and conventional plans. PPOs remain more popular for covered workers in large firms and HDHP/SO and POS plans are relatively more popular in smaller firms.
- Fifty-six percent of covered workers are enrolled in PPOs, followed by HDHP/SOs (19%), HMOs (16%), POS plans (9%), and conventional plans (<1%) (Exhibit 5.1).
- After two years of significant increases in the percentage of covered workers enrolled in HDHP/SO plans (8% in 2009, 13% in 2010, and 17% in 2011), there was a similar level of enrollment in 2012 (19%) compared to last year (Exhibit 5.1).
- Plan enrollment patterns vary by firm size. Workers in large firms (200 or more workers) are more likely than workers in small firms (3-199 workers) to enroll in PPOs (63% vs. 43%). Workers in small firms are more likely than workers in large firms to enroll in POS plans (18% vs. 4%) and HDHP/SO plans (24% vs. 17%) (Exhibit 5.3).
- Plan enrollment patterns also differ across regions.
- HMO enrollment is significantly higher in the West (27%) and significantly lower in the South (12%) and Midwest (8%) (Exhibit 5.3).
- Workers in the South (62%) are more likely to be enrolled in PPO plans than workers in other regions; workers in the West (48%) are less likely to be enrolled in a PPO (Exhibit 5.3).
- Enrollment in HDHP/SOs is higher among workers in the Midwest (29%) than in other regions (Exhibit 5.3).
Distribution of Health Plan Enrollment for Covered Workers, by Plan Type, 1988-2012
Distribution of Health Plan Enrollment for Covered Workers, by Plan Type and Firm Size, 2012
Distribution of Health Plan Enrollment for Covered Workers, by Firm Size, Region, and Industry, 2012
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Exhibit 5.1
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