As employees flip through their open enrollment packets, they may notice substantial changes to their medical plans for 2010, from increases to employee contributions to introducing a wellness program, according to the 2009 Benefits & Talent Survey by Aon Consulting, the human capital consulting firm of Aon Corp.

Aon Consulting surveyed 1,313 employers nationwide in its 2009 Benefits & Talent Survey and found 41 percent of employers are expecting to make more substantial changes to their 2010 medical program than they did this year. Specifically:

o 70% are planning to increase employee contributions

o 67% are expecting to raise deductibles, co-pays, coinsurance or out-of-pocket maximums

o More than half are expecting to introduce or expand a wellness program next year

o 34% are planning to introduce or increase financial incentives for wellness programs in 2010

o 63% of respondents offer disease management programs and 10 percent plan to do so in 2010 or later.

To reduce employer and employee healthcare costs, employers have been implementing various types of audits as a short-term savings solution. According to the Benefits & Talent Survey, 46 percent of organizations conducted a dependent eligibility verification audit in 2009 or earlier and 20 percent are planning to do so in 2010 or later. Other audits employers are planning to implement in 2010 or later include electronic prescription drug (16 percent of employers); medical claims (13 percent of employers); and prescription rebate (12 percent of employers).

The key to a successful wellness and disease management program depends on participation; one way to motivate employees to sign up is by offering incentives. Of survey respondents, 41 percent of employers offer a gift card or merchandise as an incentive, and of those organizations that offer at least one incentive, 39 percent offer between $50 and $249 as the maximum value an employee can earn in one year.

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Industry IQ: Aon study shows employers changing 2010 medical programs

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