In poker, Jolie Raufeisen is the shark — a competitive player who knows when to up the ante and call your bluffs. But there’s one thing the Angie’s List human resources manager refuses to gamble with: her children’s health. By now, Raufeisen has become as familiar with the doctor’s office as a deck of cards. But while she can always fold when dealt a bad hand, taking Derek, 9, and Alisa, 7, to the doctor when they’re sick is never an option. It’s a must.

For some 47 million Americans without health insurance, that isn’t the case. Employers, the backbone of U.S. health coverage, provided insurance for 54 percent of Americans in 2007, during which time premiums increased 6.1 percent. To stem rising costs, many companies, such as Angie’s List, have switched from traditional to high-deductible health plans.

At the List, Raufeisen handles employee insurance inquiries. “People don’t like change,” she says. “So a lot of the calls I receive are from employees who are confused or have big expenses at the beginning of the year.”

With high-deductible plans, also called consumer-driven health plans, employers deposit money each month into tax-free Health Savings Accounts. Employees, in turn, add money from their paychecks. Because employees see what medical care costs, advocates believe they’ll seek more affordable care.

A Deloitte Center for Health Solutions survey found that 43 percent of employers offered consumer-driven plans, or were considering one. “I’m scared of what will happen if employers don’t move toward consumer-driven plans,” Raufeisen says. “They’ll have to stop giving insurance. I’d say by 2015, these plans will be commonplace.”

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