When deductibles can be problematic
October 19, 2014
Previously, I've noted that cost-sharing will actually help with health care costs in the long-term because patients will become more careful about costs. There can be downsides, however. Some medical care (e.g. screening) might save more money in the long-term because they can alert patients and doctors to conditions which are much easier to treat when detected early. High deductibles where patients will need to pay for the entire cost of the screening may cause patients to skip the medical care altogether, as noted in this New York Times article.
What will probably make sense over time will be for certain medical services (along the lines of preventative care) to be more heavily subsidized than other medical care that patients will opt for, regardless of cost (e.g. treating a broken arm). Making it cheaper (and more accessible) to get the preventative care should mean that certain conditions will be detected earlier. Current legislation already requires that wellness visits are entirely covered by insurance. It wouldn't be surprising to see additional forms of medical care being more heavily subsidized by insurance plans.