You’ve likely noticed a sharp increase in the amount of patients on high deductible health plans (HDHPs) in the last few years, as the 
percentage of covered workers on an HDHP nearly doubled from 9% in 2009 to 17% in 2011, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
Now a new study from a team of Harvard researchers begins to paint a picture of how this increase is manifesting itself in the form of patients delaying trips to the doctor. The report details a significantly higher percentage of patients on HDHPs chose to delay or forgo care than those on traditional health plans.
When broken down by income level, the prevalence of delayed or forgone care was much higher – 40% of adults in HDHP families with incomes less than 400% of the federal poverty level chose to delay or forgo care, compared to 15.1% of families on traditional plans in the same income group. To purchase a full copy of the report or view a free abstract, click here.
Takeaway: Since HDHP patients have new deductibles to meet at the beginning of the year, you could be in the midst of the calm before the storm – patients holding off on care in quarter one before they begin swamping your appointment schedule later in the year once they can afford to pay their deductibles.