The usual year-end demand for elective surgeries and medical tests is being exacerbated by demand from the growing numbers of patients with high-deductible health plans, according to a report by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Patients who reach their deductibles of $1,000-$2,500 in out-of-pocket healthcare expenses toward the end of the year have a small window of opportunity to have their insurer foot the bill for healthcare services until Jan. 1, when they must start paying out-of-pocket all over again.
About 13 percent of insured Minnesotans now have high-deductible health plans connected to health savings accounts and even those with traditional plans have rising deductibles to meet.
Read the Minneapolis Star Tribune's report on health insurance deductibles.