Consumer's Right to Choose

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Humana on the Issues Medicare Access & Affordability Consumer's Right to Know Consumer's Right to Choose Health Information Technology

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A personalized solution is always preferable to “one size fits all.” Why not ask for the same individuality from your health coverage?

Flexible health insurance options grant consumers the freedom to choose the type of coverage best suited to their individual healthcare needs.

A Closer Look

According to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau findings, an estimated 45.7 million Americans now lack health insurance coverage. Uninsured people receive less preventive care and are often less healthy than their insured counterparts.

Americans can't afford the status quo any longer. Consumers and employers need - and deserve - more affordable and attractive health insurance options.

Our Position

Consumer-choice insurance plans allow members to choose

Humana believes expanded coverage begins with a competitive healthcare market that encourages innovation, product flexibility and greater choices for everyone. Consumer-choice insurance plans allow members to choose from a variety of flexible benefit, deductible and co-payment arrangements.

Interest in these products continues to grow around the country, and Humana supports a competitive marketplace where employer and consumer demand determines what health plans offer. Humana has developed innovative consumer-choice products that expand coverage to employers and individuals while reigning in costs.

Options that expand coverage to employers and individuals

Plans that include higher deductibles in exchange for significantly reduced monthly premiums
Flexible plans that include a personal care account, such as a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) or Health Savings Account (HSA), which can be used to pay for current or future medical expenses
Access to numerous online decision-support tools to help manage benefits and healthcare costs.

Health Savings Account (HSA) reform

Humana actively supports several policy changes to expand Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), including:

Tax reform - that gives individuals who choose a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) in conjunction with an HSA the same tax treatment as those with employer-provided coverage
Flexible contribution level – such as greater contribution limits to HSAs and opportunities for individuals with self-only coverage to contribute to an HSA even if the individual's family has low-deductible coverage that excludes him or her
Earlier release of Treasury Department data – including the annual adjustment of deductible amounts, out-of-pocket expense limits, and contribution limits which would give employers more time to determine plan offerings for the new benefit year

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