Are high deductible health plans bad for our health?

Are high deductible health plans bad for our health?

It seems that every other patient these days has a plan with a high deductible.   Some employers are using HRA (Health Reimbursement Accounts) to lower the cost of insuring their employees by giving them a high deductible plan and a card they can use toward the cost of care.  Others are using HSA plans which allow the employee to put money aside for healthcare expenses which can be converted into retirement savings.

Others, are buying high deductible plans for themselves, because they cannot afford other plans due to their cost.  Many of these underinsured people are putting off regular medical and chiropractic care because they have not met their deductibles.  When they do finally visit, it is not uncommon for them to find out that they may have missed out on the early diagnosis of a serious health problem.

There is growing evidence that these plans are bad for our health.   There is also growing evidence that hospitals who may absorb the deductible when someone is hospitalized may be raising prices to offset these high deductible plans as well.

Health inc recently published an article showing that people are often putting off needed care which is expensive in the long run and in some cases, may prove deadly.

Check out their article below

HEALTH INC.
High-Deductible Health Policies Linked To Delayed Diagnosis And Treatment
April 18, 20195:00 AM ET
ERIKA STALLINGS

The out-of-pocket expense of mammograms, MRIs and other tests and treatments can be several thousand dollars each year when you have a high-deductible health policy.

In 2017, Susan learned that she carries a genetic mutation that may elevate her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer to 69 percent.

Her doctor explained that individuals who have this mutation in the BRCA2 gene have choices in treatment. Some people opt for a preventive double mastectomy. But Susan could instead choose to undergo increased cancer screenings, which, for her, would mean an annual mammogram and annual MRI scan.

Because she had just had her first child, Susan chose increased surveillance — that meant she’d be able to preserve her ability to breastfeed.

Both Susan and her husband, who make their home in Broomall, Pa., have insurance provided through their respective employers to help pay for medical treatment. But there’s an expensive hitch: These annual scans she’d need would be pricey, and their companies offered only high-deductible health plans.

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