Article Courtesy of ACA InternationalThe percentage of Americans enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) increased in the first quarter of 2013, according to recently released data from the National Center for Health Statistics (http://1.usa.gov/H8CtXV). As of March, 32.5 percent of people under age 65 with private health insurance were enrolled in a HDHP, including nearly 11 percent who had a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP). The report defines a CDHP as a HDHP that is paired with a health savings account (HSA). The percentage of Americans with a HDHP of any kind is up 1.4 percent from 2012 and up 13.3 percent from 2008. The percentage of Americans with a CDHP has also increased during both time frames. Employers have increased their high-deductible offerings in recent years as well, and CDHPs could become the most common form of coverage offered by large and midsize employers in the next three to five years, according to a separate study (http://bit.ly/19YOY3b). Though HDHPs and CDHPs are increasing in popularity, a growing number of consumers who choose high-deductible plans are finding that they are unable to pay their medical bills, Kaiser Health News reported recently (http://bit.ly/19RK3ND).
