People enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) cut their use of health services, including laboratory testing, according to a study published in the October issue of Health Affairs. HDHPs lower health care costs as a result of a reduction in the use of health services, including appropriate services, the authors conclude. "Our review highlights the adverse effect of HDHPs on the use of preventive services," write the authors led by led by Rajender Agarwal, director of the Center for Health Reform, in Dallas, Texas. However, the authors note that few HDHPs charge members for preventive screenings, suggesting patients don’t understand they could receive these services at no cost. HDHPs are generally defined as a health plan with an annual deductible of at least $1,300 for individual coverage or $2,600 for family coverage. The share of adults with employer-based coverage who are enrolled in HDHPs rose from 26.3 percent in 2011 to 39.3 percent in 2016, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Employers and policymakers often see these plans as a potent way to curb health care costs, believing that the higher cost-sharing requirements will incent patients to make "higher-value" health care decisions. However, early evidence suggests that patients, […]