High-Deductible Health Plans

Rand Corporation completed an assessment on high-deductible health plans and 800,000 families were studied across the United States. Some key highlights of the study were as follows:

• Spending dropped 14% when they had a higher deductible
• Spending was lower when the individual had a high-deductible plan.
• When the individual had employer contributions contributing to more than half their deductible, savings decreased.
•  Costs went down dramatically the first year people had a high-deductible plan 
• High-deductible and consumer-directed plans help control health care costs
• Patients in the study also reduced their preventive care visits (to reduce their spending) but down the road this could be costly as they could have worsening health problems
• Under the Federal Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plan deductibles must be waived when there is preventative treatments. 
• In the short run high-deductible plans are working but they discourage people from getting preventative care.  

To read the full article, please click the following link: High-Deductible Health Plans Finds Substantial Cost Savings, but Less Preventative Care

For additional billing and coding resources, please click the following link: Medical Reimbursement Billing and Coding Resources