While the most direct way to help your clients' employees who are struggling to access care with their high-deductible plans is to reduce or eliminate the deductibles, some employers may be hesitant to switch from their current HDHPs just yet. For such employers, there are a few small tips that can help as you guide them through this journey:

Encourage employees to take the time to research costs. When it comes to procedures, costs can vary widely from provider to provider, so it's worth emphasizing to employees that they take the extra time to call around and see where they can get the best value. The same goes for prescription drugs, which in 2019 accounted for almost 19% of the average person's health care spend. One of the best resources for comparison shopping for medications is GoodRx, which allows consumers to compare prices and find coupons for more than 70,000 pharmacies across the U.S.
Urge employees to talk with their provider. Providers can be an invaluable resource for employees who are struggling to balance their high deductible with their care decisions. Costs inevitably factor into a patient's care conversations, so it's always more beneficial to keep the provider in the loop, rather than the patient making those decisions without them. Whether it's recommendations for switching to a generic prescription or finding less expensive diagnostic tests and procedures, providers can provide expert insights for their patients. The National Patient Advocate Foundation offers some great resources for patients who would like to open up conversations about the cost of care with their provider.
Understand what is included. There are certain services that health plans must cover at no cost, even if employees haven't yet hit their deductible. These services include a handful of preventative screenings (i.e. mammograms, colonoscopies, blood pressure tests), vaccinations, and a few other basics. Despite these being universally included on all health plans, a study found that only 1 in 5 employer-sponsored plan members knew these screenings were exempted from their deductible. No matter what your plan offering, employers should make their employees aware of these universally covered preventative services so that employees don't mistakenly skip or delay them due to perceived cost.
Start developing your health benefits wish list early. Maybe your health plan this year was not an ideal fit for you and your family's needs. If that's the case, it's better to start thinking about how you could improve the situation sooner rather than later. What would your dream health benefit plan look like? What are the major pain points with your current plan? Write these elements out in a list and save it for when you're selecting your next plan.

While these tactics can help in the short term, they cannot fully address the underlying problems associated with HDHPs. High deductibles reduce employee plan satisfaction, cause patients to delay or avoid care, and ultimately, result in poorer health outcomes. The most helpful way to help your clients struggling with their employees' frustration over high-deductible plans? Give them a better option during open enrollment this year. The reality is there are now better options out there, with premiums that are on par with, or lower than traditional deductible health plans, but that don't overwhelm employees with a heavy cost-sharing burden.

Instant Insights /

The high-deductible hurdle – and what you can do about it

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