Obamacare was supposed to help patients become better
healthcare consumers by allowing them to shop for high deductible health plans
at lower cost. High deductible health plans are sold as a way for consumers to take
greater control over managing their medical costs, but new research shows people on those plans are no
better at price shopping for health care professionals or services than people
on traditional insurance. The study surveyed more than 1,000 “high
deductible" health insurance enrollees of which 71% believe out of pocket
costs were important to consider when choosing a doctor. They compared this to
852 enrollees traditional of “low deductible” plans and they had the exact same
perspective. The researchers also found that during their last use of medical
care, the “high deductible” plan enrollees were no more likely than traditional
plan enrollees to consider going to another professional for care or to compare
out of pocket costs across health care professionals. They concluded that
“having more skin in the game” makes no difference on how consumers shop for
health care and insurance.
If you
need help understanding your health insurance as it relates to any aspect of
eye care service we provide please do not hesitate to ask us by calling us at
508-730-2020, visit Center for
Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an
appointment.
Center for Sight is conveniently
located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts
02720 for patients
from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
