HCW, CAI invite NC employers to participate in Healthcare Benefits & Cost Survey

Hill, Chesson & Woody (HCW) and Capital Associated Industries (CAI) have launched their sixth annual Healthcare Benefits & Cost Survey, and all N.C.-based employers are invited to participate and strengthen the sample by visiting the surveys tab on CAI's Web site, www.capital.org.

All employers who contribute to the data receive a complimentary findings report, valued at $1,500, as well as an invitation to attend a detailed briefing of the results, which will include a Q-and-A session regarding health care reform.

"This annual survey serves as a guide to North Carolina employers and has become a trusted standard to gauge current employee benefits conditions," said Todd Yates, managing partner at Hill, Chesson and Woody.

"Local benchmarking data like this is difficult to find," he added. "With the results of our survey, we've helped a lot of businesses determine if they have the benefit position they intended to have in the marketplace."

Co-developed by HCW and CAI, the survey collects health plan information exclusively from companies based in North Carolina, which makes the data invaluable to employers that are managing critical components of their employee benefits plans. The survey will remain open until Dec. 17, 2010.

"The cost of health care benefits is a hot topic for employers across the country," said Bruce Clark, president and chief executive officer of CAI, Inc.

"This survey will provide employers the opportunity to get results that give them a local picture so they can see where they fall and how they can make decisions that are best for their company and its employees," Clarke said.

The detailed executive summary from the 2009 survey showed that employers contributed 84 percent of the single premium and 56 percent of the family premium on employer-sponsored health care plans — key information that nearly all businesses should know when designing a strategic plan surrounding their employee benefits. Other highlights include information on cost-sharing, office visit co-pays, in-network deductible amounts, in- and out-of-network co-insurance, out-of-pocket maximums, and much more.