title: Comparing the assets of uninsured households to cost sharing under high-deductible health plans.
abstract: Financial assets are relevant when one is assessing whether high-deductible plans, which require greater up-front cost sharing, are worthwhile for the uninsured. We show that uninsured households have less financial assets compared to the insured; at lower income levels, their net financial assets may even be negative. Although lower premiums may increase the ability of the uninsured to buy some coverage, high out-of-pocket liability may leave families exposed to costs that they cannot meet. Paying premiums for a policy that exposes the uninsured to unaffordable medical bills may be viewed as an uneconomical use of their limited assets.
authors.affiliation: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Claxton
mesh_terms: D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000191:economics*; D003625:Data Collection; D003669:Deductibles and Coinsurance; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States