The Commonwealth Fund
January 27, 2005
Half of Insured Adults with High-Deductible Health Plans Experience
Medical Bill or Debt Problems
About half of insured adults with a high-deductible health plan have medical bill problems or debts, compared with less than one-third (31%) of those with lower-deductible plans, according to new research from The Commonwealth Fund. Individuals with high-deductible plans are also more likely than those with lower-deductible plans to experience access problems such as not filling a prescription, or skipping a medical test, treatment, or follow-up when needed, due to cost.
“Health savings accounts coupled with high deductible health plans have potential pitfalls, especially for families with low incomes or individuals with chronic health conditions, who are at greater risk of accruing burdensome medical debts and facing barriers to needed health care,” said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. “The evidence is that increased patient cost-sharing leads to underuse of appropriate care.”
http://www.cmwf.org/newsroom/newsroom_show.htm?doc_id=257751
Comment: Since half of individuals who have high-deductible health coverage are already experiencing medical bill or debt problems, the current policies to shift more individuals into high-deductible plans certainly should be challenged.
But the comparison group, those with lower-deductible plans, should not be ignored. 31% of this group also have medical bill problems or debts!
In their report, The Commonwealth Fund suggests several administrative measures that could be introduced to reduce the negative impact of the higher deductibles. Do not be lulled! Adding to the profound administrative inefficiency of our current system is no solution. But more importantly, since low-deductible plans already are not providing adequate financial protection, nothing short of comprehensive reform will do.