As healthcare costs continue to trend upwards for both group and individual health insurance plans, a number of costs-saving measures are being implemented. The Texas Employee Group Benefits Program is steering members towards generic prescription drugs, according to HealthLeaders-InterStudy.

The report indicates that use of generic drugs will likely increase as more patients become aware of their cost-saving benefits. Furthermore, more expensive co-pays may become more widespread for brand-name drugs.

HealthLeaders-InterStudy market analyst Bill Melville says other companies may begin implementing similar measures.

"Texas' largest employee group has implemented changes that could make waves among many private groups," says Melville. "With higher co-pays, the Texas Employee Group Benefits Program could be a signal of what's likely to occur in private employer groups. Additional cost-shifting strategies include increased deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and coinsurance costs."

The Food and Drug Administration says expenses can decrease by 14 percent to 16 percent per day if people switch to generic from brand-name drugs. The exact savings can vary depending on the specific medication and dose. Patients should always consult their physician to see what options are available.

Several provisions under the Affordable Care Act are set to take affect this Thursday. While many have lauded the government's efforts to expand healthcare coverage, opponents remain.

The Coalition to Protect Patients Rights spokesman Dr. Donald Palmissano says the healthcare bill will not result in people getting more affordable health insurance quotes. In fact, he asserts costs will increase.

"It's not surprising to those of us who paid attention to the legislative process that a new government analysis would show health care costs are going to be higher under the reform bill than they would have been without passage of the law," says Dr. Palmisano.

The group references data released by Aon Consulting showing reform will result in a 2 percent to 5 percent rate increase. Furthermore, the data from Aon anticipates more than a 10 percent increase in costs for many different types of healthcare plans.

Starting this week, young adults under the age of 26 will be able to remain on their parents' health insurance plans, and children with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage.

As people are forced to pay more for family health insurance plans, cost has become more important. A recent body of research released by J.D. Power and Associates reveals that there is a relationship between costs and customer satisfaction with pharmacies.

Furthermore, the study found that the importance of cost more than doubled from last year.

J.D. Power and Associates director of healthcare practice Jim Dougherty says old-fashioned customer service is still playing a role in consumer satisfaction.

"Consumers are spending more on healthcare expenses in general due to various employer-implemented changes in insurance coverage. High-performing pharmacies aren't necessarily those with the lowest prices," says Dougherty. "Rather, pharmacies that are focused on service garner the highest levels of satisfaction. Customer service still trumps price, even in an environment where cost has become increasingly important."

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, prescription medication costs have increased faster than any other healthcare-related expense. They anticipate costs will continue to rise through 2019.

In some cases, a patient may be able to take a generic medication. Generic prescriptions can be significantly less expensive than their brand-name counterparts.