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Podcast: A Health Podyssey
Episode: Timing out-of-pocket spending in health care is challenging
Description: Almost all commercial insurance plans have cost-sharing provisions where patients help pay for their health care services. Annual deductibles — which patients have to meet before insurance pays anything at all — and co-payments — where the patient pays either a fixed amount for or a share of the cost of each service received — are common examples.Cost-sharing generally reduces the health insurance premium by simply shifting a share of the costs to enrollees. But it also affects utilization because having to pay for a share of the care can deter people from getting it.How cost-sha...