Are deductibles and coinsurance keeping employees from accessing healthcare?

In order for the insurance company to begin covering healthcare costs, employees have to first meet their deductible. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average deductible for employer-provided coverage was $1,763 in 2022, but deductibles can be as high as $5,000. And while screenings, immunizations and other preventive services are usually covered without an employee meeting their deductible, a vast majority of care isn’t — and that can be detrimental to anyone who has to receive treatment for chronic medical diseases, explains Dr. Bricker.

“If an employee wants to treat something like their diabetes or cardiovascular disease while the problem is still small, they have to worry about a deductible before their insurance even kicks in,” he says. “Because that cost has to be borne by the employee, they don’t seek care. They can’t afford it.”