The fear of healthcare costs prevents one in five insured — yes, insured — Americans from visiting the doctor, while another two in five don’t have a sound understanding of their health plans and what’s covered, according to a new survey.
And approximately half of U.S. citizens, or 117 million, have at least one chronic condition, and 14 percent of them have avoided a doctor visit in the last 12 months because of cost concerns, according to the survey, conducted by SCIO Health Analtyics.
Confusion on coverage comes amid waves of newly insured citizens under Obamacare, suggesting that if health plans are serious about reducing healthcare costs in the long term, they have a ways to go in clearly explaining benefits. (It certainly doesn’t help that healthcare pricing is, to put it mildly, chaos).
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
So what’s a conscious health plan to do?
A majority, or 62 percent, of Americans said they would likely better understand their health plan through provider websites. Another 41 percent said phone support by the healthcare provider would be most beneficial. Currently, 37 percent of residents get pricing information through the health plan, compared to 31 percent who said they get information from the provider.
Among those insured, 44 percent did not know the out of pocket costs or co-pays for prescription drugs, and 61 percent did not know the costs for urgent care or walk-in clinic visits.
The knowledge gap is more pronounced among younger consumer between 18 and 34, with 48 percent of the group saying they don’t have a good understanding of their health plans. On the flip side, only 27 percent of those 65 and older said the same.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Seemingly, this would represent some opportunity for digital health companies in the outreach space.
