Buck Consultants has identified four key factors believed to be crucial to a successful consumer-driven health plan (CDHP). In Buck Consultants' 2006 survey of 130 U.S. organizations with consumer-driven health plans, respondents identified the following components as key to a successful CDHP with a health savings account (HSA):

• Aggressive and coordinated education campaigns—Eighty-one percent of survey respondents believe a key challenge in implementing a successful CDHP program is achieving true employee understanding. Companies that "strongly support" their CDHP programs experience a 17 percent participation rate vs. a 2 percent participation rate for companies that were neutral or showed only mild support.
• Employer contributions—Higher rates of participation may be achieved if the employer prefunds the HSA account at the start of the year, and the employer pays the HSA administration fees. Seventy-six percent of survey respondents contribute to employees' HSAs.
• Claims integration—The health plan and the HSA custodian must work together to fully integrate claims payment, relieving the employee of the burden to pay providers directly from the HSA.
• Multiple investment fund choices—Ninety-two percent of survey respondents provide mutual funds or other equity-based investments.