A new data brief from the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, finds that 17.3 percent of persons under 65 years of age with private health insurance were enrolled in a high-deductible health plan in 2007. More than 4 percent were enrolled in a consumer-directed health plan (a high-deductible plan coupled with a health savings account), and almost 15 percent were in a family with a flexible spending account for medical expenses.
The study also finds that persons with directly purchased private health insurance are more likely to be enrolled in a high-deductible plan than those who obtained insurance through an employer or union. Higher incomes and higher educational attainment are also associated with greater uptake and enrollment in high-deductible plans.
Read the data brief.
