High-Deductible Health Plans Now Cover Most U.S. Workers
A Netflix series scene highlights the financial impact of a $5,000 deductible. Data show deductibles have risen sharply since 2006. Surveys indicate many adults struggle to understand these costs.
forbes.comA scene in the second season of the Netflix series Beef shows characters facing a $5,000 health insurance deductible after a hospital visit for an ovarian cyst. The characters discuss whether they receive a refund if costs fall below the deductible amount. One replies that the opposite occurs.
Since 2006 Nearly 88 percent of workers with employer-sponsored coverage now have a deductible, compared with 55 percent in 2006, according to KFF data reported by CNBC. Deductibles for employer plans have increased 17 percent in the last five years and 43 percent over the last decade.
About one in five workers faces a single-coverage deductible of $3,000 or more. A KFF associate director said a $5,000 deductible is not surprising and creates a shock to household budgets.
High-deductible plans require patients to pay thousands of dollars before coverage begins. A Georgetown Law associate director stated that many consumers do not realize the full extent of these costs. The same official noted that high-deductible coverage among cancer patients is associated with worse overall survival.
Under the Affordable Care Act, certain preventive services such as annual checkups, immunizations, and screenings remain fully covered by in-network providers even when the deductible has not been met. Officials recommend using these no-cost services and reviewing plan details to reduce unexpected expenses.
