12 pages. Excerpt: The Employee Benefit Research Institute's (EBRI) December 2008 policy forum, titled 'Outlook for Consumer/Patient Engagement in Health Care -- 30 Years into the Experiment,' took a detailed look at consumer-directed health plans and related issues. Two views of consumer-directed plans: Policy forum participants heard two very different presentations on the prospects for consumer-directed plans. One speaker was optimistic, saying consumer-directed plans have worked because individuals in these plans have substituted less expensive care for more expensive care in order to minimize their out-of-pocket costs. Another speaker was skeptical, saying consumerism will have a 'marginal impact' but will not solve the problem of rising health care costs.