The Shadow Price of Uncertainty: Consequences of Unpredictable Insurance Coverage for Access, Care, and Financial Security
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Coverage uncertainty, or not knowing what insurance covers, now impedes US healthcare access more than being uninsured. Structural reforms are needed to help households navigate insurance denials and improve access to care.
Area Of Science
- Health Services Research
- Health Policy
- Consumer Health
Background
- Health insurance reform in the U.S. aims to expand enrollment and reduce financial insecurity.
- Complex insurance provisions create challenges for consumers in anticipating needs and making informed choices.
- The impact of coverage uncertainty on insured individuals remains under-researched.
Purpose Of The Study
- To assess the prevalence and impact of coverage uncertainty on healthcare access and financial well-being.
- To examine trends in coverage uncertainty over time.
- To identify policy strategies that can moderate coverage uncertainty.
Main Methods
- Utilized a multiwave survey with nationally representative data from 2009, 2014, and 2021.
- Assessed consumer worries about coverage reliability and experiences of insurance shortfalls.
- Estimated regressions linking coverage uncertainty metrics to delayed care, chronic condition management, and medical expense anxiety.
Main Results
- Coverage uncertainty affects one in five American households, five times more than the uninsured by 2021.
- Worry about coverage reliability and actual coverage shortfalls followed a U-shaped trend, increasing after mid-2010s.
- Coverage uncertainty significantly impacts timely access to care, chronic condition management, and anxiety over medical expenses.
Conclusions
- Coverage uncertainty has emerged as a primary barrier to timely healthcare access in the U.S.
- Existing popular reform strategies may inadvertently worsen coverage uncertainty.
- Structural reforms enhancing support for households facing coverage denials are most promising for mitigating these harms.
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