Enrollment in consumer-driven and high-deductible health plans increased in 2007, but still makes up a small segment of the overall insurance market, according to the third EBRI/Commonwealth Fund Consumerism in Health Care survey released March 18.
The survey found that consumer-driven plan enrollees are in better health, are less likely to smoke, are more likely to exercise, and to be white, male, and higher-income. In terms of behavior, enrollees in consumer-driven plans are more cost-conscious about their health care than are people enrolled in more comprehensive plans, are less satisfied with their plans overall, and are more likely to say they avoided needed care because of cost.
According to the survey report, enrollment in high-deductible plans stood at 11 percent of the privately insured adult population in 2007, up from 7 percent the previous year. And the percentage of consumer-driven plan enrollees with household incomes above $100,000 increased to 31 percent in 2007, from 22 percent in 2005. Just 19 percent of adults with consumer-driven plans were in households with incomes of under $50,000 in 2007, down from 33 percent in 2005. Read the report.
