Reduce high upfront health insurance deductibles

PAN’s POSITION

Health insurance deductibles should not be set at amounts that prevent patients from accessing treatment.

Insurers must mitigate the impact that high upfront deductibles in commercial health insurance plans have on patients’ ability to start and stay on treatment, including their prescription medications. 

Although deductibles have long been part of most commercial health insurance plans, Health Affairs points to annual deductibles having increased over the last decade. Patients are often expected to pay thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses before their insurance provides coverage. Unfortunately, many are unable to afford these upfront costs, leading them to delay or abandon treatment.

This charity helps with what has been the scariest part of living with cancer – the financial burden. I’d like to think I have enough to worry about without worrying about covering my yearly deductible on January 1, as my medicine costs $12,000 per month.

Ben, living with chronic myeloid leukemia