High-deductible health plans could lead to less preventive care

High-deductible health plans could lead people -- especially children in low-income families -- to forgo or delay health care, according to a policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics published on Monday in Pediatrics, Reuters reports.

AAP warned that such plans could result in patients forgoing preventive care, such as immunizations and annual physicals in children, which could lead to greater medical costs in the future, for example, if a patient seeks care at an emergency department.

According to the policy statement, "Faced with difficult choices, families may seek to 'load up' on a scheduled visit to save money or delay care until after the deductible is met."

In addition, AAP said that people with high-deductible plans are less likely to fill prescriptions and follow up with physicians compared with people who have traditional health insurance.

The group recommends that the federal tax code be changed to encourage insurers to exempt preventive care from the deductible requirement.

AAP also expressed concern that states will experiment with high-deductible plans on Medicaid beneficiaries.

Anthony Johnson, a physician and member of AAP, said, "We think that population would really struggle with these plans," adding, "It would be sold as, 'if you don't use your medical care, you get to keep some money'" (Dixon, Reuters, 3/5).

An abstract of the policy statement is available online.