TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of High-Deductible Health Plans on Enrollees With Mental Health Conditions With and Without Substance Use Disorders
AU - Schilling, Cameron J.
AU - Eisenberg, Matthew D.
AU - Kennedy-Hendricks, Alene
AU - Busch, Alisa B.
AU - Huskamp, Haiden A.
AU - Stuart, Elizabeth A.
AU - Meiselbach, Mark K.
AU - Barry, Colleen L.
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - OBJECTIVE: High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are increasingly common in the U.S. health insurance market and are intended to reduce the use of low-value services, but evidence suggests that HDHP enrollees also reduce the use of high-value services. This study examined the effects of HDHPs on enrollees with mental health conditions, a population with high levels of unmet treatment need, often because of financial barriers. Enrollees with a co-occurring substance use disorder have greater treatment needs and unique barriers to care, perhaps changing their response to an HDHP. METHODS: Commercial health insurance claims data in a difference-in-differences design was used to evaluate the effect of an employer's offer of an HDHP on 6,627,128 enrollee-years among enrollees with mental health conditions, stratified by having a co-occurring substance use disorder or not. RESULTS: Among enrollees without a co-occurring substance use disorder, an HDHP offer was associated with a 4.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.4%-7.2%) reduction in overall spending on mental health care, despite an 11.3% (95% CI=1.0%-21.6%) increase in spending on mental health-related emergency department visits. Among enrollees with a co-occurring substance use disorder, no significant changes attributable to an HDHP offer were found in most categories of spending on combined mental health and substance use disorder care, apart from a 4.5% (95% CI=1.9%-7.2%) reduction in spending on psychotropic medications. CONCLUSIONS: HDHPs may reduce use of necessary care among enrollees with mental health conditions, which could exacerbate undertreatment in this population and result in adverse health outcomes.
AB - OBJECTIVE: High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are increasingly common in the U.S. health insurance market and are intended to reduce the use of low-value services, but evidence suggests that HDHP enrollees also reduce the use of high-value services. This study examined the effects of HDHPs on enrollees with mental health conditions, a population with high levels of unmet treatment need, often because of financial barriers. Enrollees with a co-occurring substance use disorder have greater treatment needs and unique barriers to care, perhaps changing their response to an HDHP. METHODS: Commercial health insurance claims data in a difference-in-differences design was used to evaluate the effect of an employer's offer of an HDHP on 6,627,128 enrollee-years among enrollees with mental health conditions, stratified by having a co-occurring substance use disorder or not. RESULTS: Among enrollees without a co-occurring substance use disorder, an HDHP offer was associated with a 4.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.4%-7.2%) reduction in overall spending on mental health care, despite an 11.3% (95% CI=1.0%-21.6%) increase in spending on mental health-related emergency department visits. Among enrollees with a co-occurring substance use disorder, no significant changes attributable to an HDHP offer were found in most categories of spending on combined mental health and substance use disorder care, apart from a 4.5% (95% CI=1.9%-7.2%) reduction in spending on psychotropic medications. CONCLUSIONS: HDHPs may reduce use of necessary care among enrollees with mental health conditions, which could exacerbate undertreatment in this population and result in adverse health outcomes.
KW - Economics
KW - Insurance
KW - Mental illness and alcohol/drug abuse
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129781150&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85129781150&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1176/appi.ps.202000914
DO - 10.1176/appi.ps.202000914
M3 - Article
C2 - 34587784
AN - SCOPUS:85129781150
SN - 1075-2730
VL - 73
SP - 518
EP - 525
JO - Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.)
JF - Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.)
IS - 5
ER -