Consultants: Deductibles May Block Health Access

Rising out-of-pocket costs could shut many middle-income Americans with health coverage out of the U.S. health care system.

Roughly 60% of the U.S. residents who have private health coverage in 2020 may be enrolled in high-deductible plans, according to consultants in the New York office of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

Only about 5% of privately insured U.S. residents have health savings accounts or health reimbursement arrangements, but 10% of enrollees in “conventional” plans also have deductibles exceeding $1,000, the consultants report.