A study by the RAND Corp. published in the March issue of the American Journal of Managed Care found that health spending dropped 14 percent when patients enrolled in high deductible health plans, compared to plans with lower deductibles.
Healthcare spending also was lower among families enrolled in high-deductible plans that had moderate health savings accounts sponsored by employers.
The study also found that families who shifted to high deductible plans significantly cut back on preventive healthcare such as childhood immunizations and cancer screenings.
The study examined more than 800,000 families from across the United States during 2004 to 2005.
"We discovered that costs go down dramatically during the first year people are enrolled in high-deductible health plans, as long as the deductible is at least $1,000 per person," said Amelia M. Haviland, a study co-author and a statistician at RAND, a non-profit research organization. "But we also found concerning reductions in use of preventive care. This suggests people are cutting both necessary and unnecessary care."
High deductible and consumer-directed health plans have grown in popularity over recent years. In 2009, 20 percent of Americans with employer-sponsored health coverage were enrolled in such plans. A 2010 survey found that more than 54 percent of large employers offered at least one high-deductible health plan to their employees.
Read the RAND Corp. news release on high deductible health plans.
Read more coverage on HDHPs:
- Interesting Statistics on Consumer-Directed Healthcare
- 5 Best Practices to Help Address Increasing Patient Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Healthcare spending also was lower among families enrolled in high-deductible plans that had moderate health savings accounts sponsored by employers.
The study also found that families who shifted to high deductible plans significantly cut back on preventive healthcare such as childhood immunizations and cancer screenings.
The study examined more than 800,000 families from across the United States during 2004 to 2005.
"We discovered that costs go down dramatically during the first year people are enrolled in high-deductible health plans, as long as the deductible is at least $1,000 per person," said Amelia M. Haviland, a study co-author and a statistician at RAND, a non-profit research organization. "But we also found concerning reductions in use of preventive care. This suggests people are cutting both necessary and unnecessary care."
High deductible and consumer-directed health plans have grown in popularity over recent years. In 2009, 20 percent of Americans with employer-sponsored health coverage were enrolled in such plans. A 2010 survey found that more than 54 percent of large employers offered at least one high-deductible health plan to their employees.
Read the RAND Corp. news release on high deductible health plans.
Read more coverage on HDHPs:
- Interesting Statistics on Consumer-Directed Healthcare
- 5 Best Practices to Help Address Increasing Patient Out-of-Pocket Expenses