Most of the plans offered through the ACA are so-called high-deductible plans, and the law has helped spread this type of coverage. In the decade from 2006 to 2015, the number of Americans enrolled in such plans rose from 10 to 50 percent. Insurance doesn’t kick in until the patient has paid a hefty sum, thousands of dollars. But a 2015 study found that when patients were switched into a high-deductible health plan, they didn’t become smarter, more cost-conscious shoppers for medical care. The exorbitant prices demanded by the U.S. healthcare system meant that they mostly just avoided any
...more
