TrueCost plan provokes standoff between employees and employers
A standoff in Cincinnati, Ohio, between employees and their employers has formed concerning a controversial new health insurance plan called TrueCost. The plan has become very popular for Cincinnati employers, but workers are concerning over the potential the plan has of introducing a variety of new medical costs. So far, nine Cincinnati employers, representing some 5,000 employers combined, have adopted the TrueCost plan, which comes from Custom Design Benefits.
Plan allows employers to take control of health care costs
According to employers, the TrueCost plan allows them to manage the costs associated with health insurance more efficiently. This is because the plan is based on the same payment structure that is seen in the state’s Medicare program. In some cases, employers adopting the TrueCost plan suggest it will help them reduce the cost of their own health plans that are offered to employees. Hospitals and health care professionals, however, claim that the plan’s payment structure is not adequate.
Health care providers refuse to honor plan
Several health care professionals and the organizations they work for claim that they did not have a role to play in the negotiation process concerning the payment structure of the TrueCost plan. As such, many of these health care providers are opting to ignore the plan entirely, putting the full cost of medical care on consumers instead. Thus, employees that are covered through the TrueCost plan will not have the plan cover the cost of any medical care they receive, having to pay for this care on their own.
TrueCost generates controversy throughout Cincinnati
The TrueCost plan has created a great deal of tension between Cincinnati employers and the employed. For now, the plan seems to be set in stone with many employers, but that may change if workers can successfully get Ohio insurance regulators involved in the matter. Employers have expressed interest in finding some balance, but little progress has been made in the way of meeting with health care providers and finding a more comprehensive payment structure.
