A recently released survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a nonprofit group, examined the link between health savings accounts and other health compensation arrangements and cost-conscious behaviors among the people who use them.
According to the results, there is some evidence that consumers with the accounts are more (62) to engage in certain cost-conscious behaviors than those without the accounts. (63) , those with the accounts appear more likely to check whether the plan would (64) care, more likely to ask for a generic(普通的) drug, more likely to have a (65) and more likely to check the price of service.
On the other hand, the researchers also found that there are (66) cost-conscious behaviors that those with the accounts don’t (67) any more likely to engage in than those without the accounts. These included talking to a doctor about (68) and costs, asking a doctor to (69) a less costly drug and checking the quality rating of a hospital or doctor.
The study also looked at (70) the account balances and year-to-year rollover amounts might (71) between consumers with the accounts who engage in various cost-conscious behavior and (72) of the accounts who don’t.
The researchers were trying to find out (73) those who engage in cost-conscious behavior had (74) account balances and rollover amounts. Based on the survey results, (75) , the researchers found no relationship (76) account balances and rollover amounts and the cost-conscious behaviors.
"It is expected that individuals who are given more control over funds (77) for health care services will become more cost-conscious, especially once they become more (78 ) about the actual price of health services," said Paul Fronstin, director of the institute’s health research and education program and author of the report. "However, no evidence was found to support this (79) some of the measures used in this study of cost-conscious behavior."
In further studies, Mr. Fronstin said he would like to control for (80) factors like health to see, for instance, if those who are more cost-conscious are more likely to have more (81) diseases or conditions.