Health Plans
The increase in high-deductible, consumer-directed health plans likely will affect patients with low-incomes or chronic illnesses most significantly, but the impact is yet to be seen, according to a paper in the journal Health Affairs. The paper is part of a series of seven papers addressing consumer driven health plans.
The paper reports on an Oct. 2005 roundtable discussion of consumer-directed health plans convened by the California HealthCare Foundation. To minimize potential negative implications for health plan members with chronic conditions, participants in the discussion recommended that consumers, health plans and regulators:
- Risk-adjust contributions;
- Adopt a broad definition of "preventive care";
- Implement coinsurance in place of deductibles; and
- Focus out-of-pocket costs to discretionary care over nondiscretionary services (Yegian, Health Affairs, 10/24).
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"Consumer-Directed Health Care: Early Evidence About Effects on Cost and Quality" (Buntin, Health Affairs, 10/24)
- "Beyond Consumer-Driven Health Care: Purchasers Expectations of All Plans" (Lee/Hoo, Health Affairs, 10/24)
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"Getting on the Soapbox: Views of an Innovator in Consumer-Directed Care" (Miller, Health Affairs, 10/24)
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"What Is Consumer-Directed Health Care?" (Goodman, Health Affairs, 10/24)
- "Rearranging the Deck Chairs" (Ginsburg, Health Affairs, 10/24)
- "Consumer-Directed Health Care: It's Not Whether the Glass Is Half-Empty, But Why?" (Ross, Health Affairs, 10/24).