Consumer-driven health plans have low, but growing, enrollment

In 2009, four percent of the population was enrolled in a consumer-driven health plan-which is high-deductible health insurance with a personal account to pay for health expenses-up from three percent in 2008, according to a survey released in December by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

Enrollment in just high-deductable health plans, without personal accounts, increased from 11 percent in 2008 to 13 percent in 2009, according to the survey.

The four percent of the population with a consumer-driven plan represents 5 million adults aged 21 to 64 years with private insurance, whereas the 13 percent with a high deductible-only plan represents 16.2 million people, according to the EBRI.