Three-quarters of insured patients say out-of-pocket costs for copays, deductibles or coinsurance within the past year was more than they could afford, according to a report from Kaiser Family Foundation and New York Times.
The report published Tuesday surveyed Americans aged 18-64 who reported difficulties paying medical bills within the past year, and explores the impacts of care costs on patient finances and care access.
Of survey respondents, 26 percent in high deductible health plans reported they or someone in their household experienced difficulties paying medical bills in the past year, compared to 15 percent of those in plans with lower deductibles. High deductibles were defined as $1,500 and above for an individual or $3,000 and above for a family.
Interestingly, among insured patients who had problems paying household medical bills, the report found both high deductible and low deductible policy holders had the most difficulty meeting copay, deductible or coinsurance costs. Approximately 83 percent of HDHP carriers expressed difficulty meeting these payments compared to 76 percent of LDHP holders.
These numbers suggest other types of cost-sharing programs besides HDHPs can present similar financial obstacles for patients, according to the report.