CDHP CLAIMS COSTS TO RISE 10.5%, AON SAYS
Claims costs for consumer-directed health plans are expected to rise about 10.5% over the next 12 months, virtually identical to an overall increase in healthcare costs of 10.6%, according to an Aon Corp. (Chicago) survey of more than 70 leading health plans representing 100 million lives.

UNION PACIFIC HAS HIGH HSA PENETRATION
Union Pacific Railroad (Omaha, NE) had 5600 HSA plan enrollees as of January 2008, representing 87% of its eligible 7000 employees.

eHEALTH REPORTS 18% GAINS IN INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS
eHealth Inc. (Mountain View, CA) reported an 18% increase in the number of individual and family health insurance applications submitted through the company’s web site in the second quarter of 2008. eHealth received 103,800 applications, compared to 88,300 a year earlier.

WELLNESS, DM SAVINGS INCONCLUSIVE, MILLIMAN SAYS
“The adoption of population health-management approaches, particularly wellness and health promotion programs, has become mainstream, yet medical cost savings outcomes have been inconclusive,” according to the 2008 Milliman Medical Index from Milliman Inc. (Seattle, WA).

MAX ’09 HSA CONTRIBUTION: $3000 SINGLE, $5950 FAMILY
The maximum annual pretax contribution that can be made to an HSA in 2009 will be $3000 single, $5950 family, according to the U.S. Treasury Dept.

BCBS-MN HAS 280,000 HSA, HRA LIVES
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (Eagan, MN), which began offering consumer-directed health plans in 2003, serves 280,000 members through its Options Blue HRA and HSA plans.