More employers are including narrow provider network insurance plans among their plan offerings to their employees to give them a lower-cost premium option.
Narrow provider networks limit the number of covered providers included in health insurance plans. While these plans have been mainstays on Affordable Care Act marketplaces, employers have been slow to adopt them.
But according to the Willis Towers Watson “Health Care Delivery Survey,” 18% of large employers offer a narrow network — also known as a high-performance network — in their employee health plans. Those numbers are expected to have grown to an estimated 25% in 2022, experts say.
Premiums for such plans cost 16% less on average than plans with broad networks, according to a study in the journal Health Affairs of plans sold on the individual health insurance market.
If an employer wants a more economical premium cost, choosing a plan with a limited (or narrow) network may help. Those who want greater choice may pay more for access to a network with more providers. Narrow networks include all specialties, but a smaller network may offer only two podiatrists, for example, while a larger network may offer 10 or more. More Employers Add Narrow Networks to Offerings