MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota hospitals and clinics are seeing a surge of patients with high-deductible health plans looking to squeeze in surgeries and other care before the end of the year.
Insurance will cover the patients, who’ve met their out-of-pocket maximums, Minnesota Public Radio (https://bit.ly/2i3QPPQ ) reported. But their high deductibles, which are meant to bring down monthly premiums, will reset Jan. 1.
Doug Campbell of Bloomington said there is an incentive not to seek care during the deductible period because it’s expensive, but it’s reversed when the deductible is satisfied.
Deductibles and other cost-sharing provisions are designed to encourage customers to think before getting care in hopes of cutting down on unnecessary doctor visits.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital president Ben Bache-Wiig said November and December are 20 percent busier than the average month.
“We have our physicians doing elective operations on the weekends and into the evening and really kind of stressing the resources we have available for anesthesia and other pieces,” Bache-Wiig said.
Health insurer Medica said it pays out 16 percent more for care in December than during the average month.
Insurance companies are realizing when their customers avoid care because of out-of-pocket costs, they can sometimes end up getting sicker and wind up costing a lot more, according to health economist Jean Abraham. For that reason, the industry is exploring different approaches, such as value-based insurance, which covers maintenance care for expensive chronic conditions.
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Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, https://www.mprnews.org
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