Ridiculous Study of the Week: High-Deductible Health Policies Linked To Delayed Diagnosis And Treatment
Here you go:
A study in Health Affairs examined claims data from a large national insurer for 316,244 women whose employers switched insurance coverage from low-deductible health plans (i.e., deductibles of $500 or less) to high-deductible health plans (i.e., deductibles of $1,000 or more) between 2004 and 2014. Women with low incomes who had high-deductible insurance plans waited an average of 1.6 months longer for diagnostic breast imaging, 2.7 months for first biopsy, 6.6 months for first early-stage breast cancer diagnosis and 8.7 months for first chemotherapy, compared with low-income women with low-deductible plans.
Wow, who saw this coming?
Maybe this data would change if these patients could actually shop around for realistic prices for breast imaging, biopsies and chemotherapy?
Just saying.
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Gee, ya think?
What’s shocking to me is that $1000 qualifies as “high deductible.” I haven’t had a deductible below that in over 20 years…and that was at a major medical university where I did my residency.
Definitely needs to be pointed out to employers who buy the insurance.
Although there are plenty of ridiculous studies out there, and the results of this one are intuitive to those of us in the medical profession, I do not think this particular study is ridiculous, because it proves to those who design these plans how bad high-deductible plans are for the health of a population.