Recently, HealthSparq released findings from a survey of 1,006 people across the United States. The findings revealed that almost half of respondents (44%) avoided getting healthcare services because they were unsure of the costs. This is a steep increase from the findings of 2021, when only 25% reported skipping care. For consumers between the ages of 18 and 34, the avoidance of care due to cost was even greater, at 63%. Further, among consumers with a high-deductible health plan, 51% avoided care.
Despite the staggering number of patients who are avoiding care due to uncertainty around costs, the survey also found an increase in the number of consumers who report access to transparency tools, with about 70% of respondents indicating the availability of some transparency tools in their health plan. Transparency tools in the study were defined as online tools from insurance companies where members are able to search for in-network providers, get cost estimates for procedures, learn about treatment options, and/or get guidance on options covered by insurance.
Of the consumers who reported having access to transparency tools, 2/3 of them reported using them in the past year. Of those who have used the tools, 91% feel that they help with understanding coverage, 89% feel that they help make informed decisions, and 81% feel that they help to manage costs.
Additionally, the report found that the top five most important factors when patients look for a doctor are: whether the doctor is in-network, the distance of the doctor office from home or work, the years of experience of the doctor, the appointment availability, and the cost.
When searching for a new provider, patients indicate that the following information is helpful: patient reviews, the provider’s approach to patient care, the health outcomes of patients that are treated by the provider, the availability of telehealth, photos of the provider, and quality metrics. Additionally, while the majority of consumers would like the ability to schedule appointments through their health plan’s website, only 40% report having that option.
As indicated above, there is an age difference in patients avoiding care due to cost. There is also an age difference in the patients who use their health plan websites to obtain cost information for a service or procedure: 59% of 18-34 year old’s compared to only 25% of those 55 and older.
“All respondents in our survey have health insurance, so seeing the rates of care avoidance due to uncertainty about costs is concerning and something health plans need to take note of,” said Mark Menton, General Manager of HealthSparq. “We can eliminate some of this uncertainty and delayed care by continuing to raise awareness about price transparency tools offered by health plans. Our tools give the clearest picture of a members’ expected out-of-pocket costs for healthcare services.”