Eroding Employer Coverage Squeezes Average Americans
A good Health Affairs Forefront Blog on eroding employer coverage and the impact on the lowest tier of working Americans.
The article does a good job of discussing the chasm between what private healthcare coverage pays providers and what government programs pay. It notes that statistics bear out that price and not utilization largely drives spending growth in the employer market. It says U.S. hospitals charge privately insured patients nearly 2.5 times more than what Medicare pays for the exact same service.
The articles disclaims that there is a cost-shift, but instead says it is related to provider market power. Well, I still think there is a cost-shift to some degree that is occurring, but I can also buy the author’s market power argument.
The article notes that the price differences are a systemic issue and those who ultimately pay the price are “workers via a series of damaging, indirect mechanisms.” It dives deep into the fact that employers now are cost-shifting to workers. Because of the ongoing cost burden of healthcare, employers are moving employees into high-deductible health plans. The average annual deductible for a worker with single coverage has surged 47% over the past decade. The articles say people are quickly becoming underinsured – hey that’s my line. They cannot afford to use their healthcare.
The article points to the consequences – one in four delay or forego care. That has major health impacts and increases costs down the road.
The cost-shift from employer to workers hits those who can least afford it — the lowest-paid workers. Spiking healthcare costs also lead to job losses, and these same workers are usually targeted first. The lowest paid also have mountains of medical debt.
The authors see a need to challenge on anti-trust issues, regulate price, and empower purchasers through transparency. The authors conclude: “Reining in exorbitant commercial provider prices is not simply an exercise in controlling healthcare spending; it is a fundamental prerequisite for restoring economic fairness for US workers and fostering a more dynamic and competitive national economy.”
Well said.
(Article may require a subscription.)
#employercoverage #healthcare
