CDHPs Consumers Spend More Than Non-CDHPs Consumers, Research Confirms!

A recent research of the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) reveals that CDHPs consumers spend more money even if they spend less on health plans and thus use fewer medical care services than non-CDHPs consumers. As per the research, expenditures of people with CDHP was 1.5 greater overall than consumers with traditional type of health plans. This left them more accountable with the one-fourth of their total health care costs than to 14 percent for traditional health plans consumers, according to the research.

The research, published in Health Care Cost Institute, studies health care spending and use of consumer covered by ESI (Employer-Sponsored Insurance) and consumer of CDHPs below 65 years old from year 2010 up to 2014. The number of enrollees in CDHPs has been increasing steadily in the ESI population of HCCI: in 2014, more than one-fourth enrolled in CDHP compared to 15% in 2010.

As a whole, the research discovered that lesser money were paid on health plans for CDHPs consumers, as they tended to utilize lesser medical care services. But CDHPs consumers had great expenditure on copays, coinsurance (except premiums) and deductibles. This great expenditure meant CDHPs consumers were liable for almost one-fourth of their total health care services costs, compared to 14% for non-CDHPs consumers.

The main purpose of CDHPs is to make users more aware of health care costs and thus lower the costs of total health care. "CDHPs are effective in heightening sensitivity to costs and quality in individuals' decision to seek medical care," says Paul Fronstin, EBRI's director of health research and education, according to Managed Care.

"As the costs of health care increase, consumer-driven health plans try to balance lower premiums with higher deductibles and higher limits on out-of-pocket spending," said Amanda Frost, HCCI Senior Researcher. She added that the more employers give consumer-driven health plans, it's difficult to examine how they compare in practice to other kinds of health insurances.