Consumers who choose high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) favor lower cost care options, including generic drugs over brand drugs and efforts to improve their wellness.

“Our research concludes that people are beginning to understand the importance of choosing healthier lifestyles, asking their physicians more questions about treatment options, and proactively making the right decisions for their wellness. The role of the health care consumer has become more and more prominent,” said Dr. Esther Nash, senior medical director and co-chair for the Office of Consumerism at Philadelphia-based Independence Blue Cross, in a statement.

Nash added that consumerism is “rapidly changing the health care industry.”

The IBC researchers caution that consumers would do even better if they were better educated on the issues surrounding their health care.

The research offers a glimpse at some of the benefits health insurers have been predicting would arise when people became better acquainted with the costs associated with their health care decisions.

In 2008, about 6% of all new health enrollment in the large-group market came in HDHPs and Health Savings Accounts, according to America’s Health Insurance Plans. Industry experts expect that number to continue to increase as employers fight the effects of the recession.

IBC commissioned two studies to learn more about employer groups’ and consumers’ attitudes towards taking active roles in their health care and whether their behaviors back up their beliefs. Scott Post, IBC’s vice president of marketing and co-chair of the office of consumerism, said the shift to consumerism forces everyone in the health care system to participate fully.

“Everyone plays a role in this transformation, from the broker who sells health care plans, to the employer who offers health coverage to his employees, to the physician who treats patients, to the end consumers who ultimately make the decisions that play a huge part in how healthy they are,” Post said.

Consumers in HDHPs, especially those dealing with chronic conditions, appear to be more engaged in making health care decisions than consumers in more traditional managed care plans such as HMOs or PPOs, according to IBC research. Exactly 57% of HDHP members with chronic conditions say they are actively involved in treatment decisions, compared to 37% of members who are in other managed care plans.

With a key to HDHPs being consumer access to information, researchers found that consumers are not yet confident in their ability to make health care decisions and they continue to look for guidance from traditional sources such as friends, family and their physicians. However, consumers have now begun to regard their health plans as a viable source for information, particularly when exploring treatment options or the cost of care.

In general, consumers remain unwilling to accept inconvenience to get a better price for health care. However, HDHP members are more likely to take actions for a better price such as using a primary care physician over a specialist or changing the location for taking a diagnostic test. When consumers do ask questions, they primarily pertain to the cost of prescription drugs, IBC researchers found.

The top health care decision where consumers said they would make a choice to save money is opting for a generic over a brand name prescription drug.

The IBC researchers also found that half of employers surveyed said they are likely to offer a wellness rewards program to their workforce and believe it will lead to healthier employees. Nearly 85% of the surveyed employers believe that the best way to control health care costs is for people to take better care of themselves.

Nearly two-thirds of consumers surveyed would be likely to participate in incentive programs if it were available to them. Consumers also said if their employers offered incentive programs, it would show that they cared about their employees.