Shopping for Health Insurance & Deductibles

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 Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.  

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.