For Kentucky workers who have health insurance through their employers, the number enrolled in high-deductible plans has risen sharply over the last eight years.
Foundation President and CEO Susan Zepeda said in a news release people on high-deductible plans tend to use fewer preventative services that cost money up front but save money and lives in the long run.
She said these plans can make it more difficult for Kentuckians with low incomes or chronic conditions to pay their medical bills, leading them to delay or skip essential health care.
According to a report, more than 2.4 million Kentuckians have health insurance through their jobs. In 2014, 39 percent of them were enrolled in high-deductible plans compared to just 7 percent in 2006.
The IRS defined a high deductible in 2014 as $1,250 for an individual and $2,500 for a family.
The report also found that 60 percent of 2016 enrollees in kynect, Kentucky’s state marketplace for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, selected the higher deductible, lower premium silver-level plan. That plan has a median deductible of $3,500 for an individual and $7,000 for a family. Median monthly payments, or premiums, are $255 for an individual and $585 for a family.
Source: AP
You must be logged in to post a comment.