For people sick of high deductibles, Republicans offer high-deductible plans as replacements for Obamacare.
High-deductible health plans do cause people to spend less money on medical care—by about 5 to 7 percent. They especially avoid things like getting lab tests and filling their prescriptions, particularly in the first year they have the plan.
.. They also become more careful about going to the doctor. “You might give that upper-respiratory infection a few more days,” Lo Sasso said.
.. But the intended effect—that people will learn to shop around for the cheapest doctor—doesn’t always kick in. A 2015 study of a firm that switched to a high-deductible health plan found that the employees didn’t learn to price-shop after two years. Instead, they just reduced the amount of medical services they received, including potentially valuable services like preventive care.
.. That suggests people on high-deductible plans are getting less care, not just cheaper care.