While only 19% of workers were enrolled in qualified high-deductible plans in 2012, participation has steadily increased from 8% in 2009, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. As these plans become more popular, employers should take special note of gaps in employees’ understanding to make sure the plan is utilized as it was intended.
For example, even though 84% of participants in a recent study of high-deductible health plans know their plan includes a deductible (and 70% could correctly name the dollar amount within a 20% range), nearly half of all study participants mistakenly believe that their deductible applied to both preventive and non-preventive office visits and medical tests.
