Study: High deductible health plans may proliferate

Globe Staff

Roughly 55 percent of employers said that high deductible health plans will be more attractive to them following the passage of health care reform legislation, a new study from Fidelity Investments found.

In a press release, the Boston mutual funds giant said it recently surveyed 459 employers in hopes of getting a better understanding of how health care reform is impacting employers and their benefit strategy.

The study found that a majority of employers expect health care reform to lead to cost increases, and smaller employers are particularly concerned about near-term cost increases.

"Company executives are taking a close look at their overall benefit strategies in the wake of the new health care reform legislation," Sunit Patel, senior vice president of Fidelity's Benefits Consulting Services, said in a statement. "Over the long run, health care reform could lead to significant changes to an employee's benefits well beyond health care coverage."