Effects of High-Deductible Health Plans on Enrollees With Mental Health Conditions With and Without Substance Use Disorders.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are increasingly common in the U.S. health insurance market and are intended to reduce the use of low-value services, but evidence suggests that HDHP enrollees also reduce the use of high-value services. This study examined the effects of HDHPs on enrollees with mental health conditions, a population with high levels of unmet treatment need, often because of financial barriers. Enrollees with a co-occurring substance use disorder have greater treatment needs and unique barriers to care, perhaps changing their response to an HDHP.

Methods

Commercial health insurance claims data in a difference-in-differences design was used to evaluate the effect of an employer's offer of an HDHP on 6,627,128 enrollee-years among enrollees with m

SUBMITTER: Schilling CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8964829 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature