Can your employees afford their health plan?

Published 4 Min Read

An ambulance flashing red lights goes down a New York City street.
Adobe Stock

Health insurance doesn’t necessarily protect members from incurring medical debt, and Americans know this all too well. 

An estimated 92% of the U.S. has health insurance at some point during the year, according to the U.S. Census. Yet, according to health plan provider Centivo, one in five households has medical debt. Americans collectively owe at least $220 billion in medical debt, and the number is likely to keep climbing as healthcare prices and premiums go up. Given that employer-sponsored health insurance is the largest source of coverage in the U.S., organizations have a big problem on their hands: Are their health plans actually encouraging people to seek care, or are workers avoiding doctors altogether for fear of the financial consequences?

Deanna Cuadra
Senior Reporter

Deanna Cuadra is a senior reporter at Employee Benefit News. Her work covers healthcare, U.S. policy and reform, challenges faced by women and parents in the workplace and innovation in work culture … Read full bio


For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.


More From Employee Benefit News

Sign Up Form

Login Modal Form