Internists say cost sharing, particularly deductibles, may cause patients to forgo or delay care

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/acop-isc071316.php

Public Release: 13-Jul-2016
Internists say cost sharing, particularly deductibles, may cause patients to forgo or delay care
New ACP Position paper offers 5 recommendations
American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today said that cost sharing, particularly deductibles, may cause patients to forgo or delay care, including medically necessary services. "The effects are particularly pronounced among those with low incomes and the very sick," said Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, FACP, president of ACP.

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"Underinsurance is emerging as a serious problem that may be more difficult to tackle than un-insurance," Dr. Damle said. "Evidence shows that when cost sharing is imposed, consumers may respond by reducing their use of both necessary and unnecessary care."

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The five recommendations in the paper address ways cost sharing can be made more equitable in the private market by reducing overall health care spending, designing insurance plans that allow access to high-value services, enhancing financial subsidies for marketplace-based insurance plans, improving outreach and health insurance literacy and education, and advocating for updated research on the effects of patient cost sharing.

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