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High-Deductible Health Plans for US Children: Trends, Health Service Use, and Financial Barriers to Care
Journal article   Peer reviewed

High-Deductible Health Plans for US Children: Trends, Health Service Use, and Financial Barriers to Care

Kandyce Larson, Elizabeth A. Gottschlich, William L. Cull and Lynn M. Olson
Academic pediatrics, Vol.21(8), pp.1345-1354
11/01/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.03.001
PMID: 33713837

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined children's enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and associations with health service use. We examine trends, health service use, and financial barriers to care for US children with high-deductible private insurance. METHODS: Trend data on HDHP enrollment were available for 58,910 children ages 0 to 17 with private insurance from the 2007 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey. Health service indicators were examined in a cross-sectional sample of 23,959 children in the 2014-2018 datasets. High deductible was defined as a minimum of $2,700 for a family in 2018. Chisquare tests examined associations of HDHPs with health service indicators. Logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographics and child health. RESULTS: The percent of privately insured children with HDHPs increased from 18.4% to 48.6% from 2007 to 2018. In adjusted regression, those with HDHPs fared worse than those with traditional plans on 7 of 10 measures and those with HDHPs and no health savings account (HSA) fared worse on eight. While small differences were found for various child-focused measures, the most consistent differences were found for family-focused measures. Parents with HDHPs were more likely than parents with traditional private insurance to report they had delayed or forgone their medical care (10.2% vs 5.7%), had problems paying medical bills (15.7% vs 10.3%), and had family medical debt (34.1% vs 25.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Privately insured families have seen substantial growth in high-deductible plans in the last decade. Families with HDHPs, especially those without HSAs, have more financial barriers to care.
Life Sciences & Biomedicine Pediatrics Science & Technology

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