Professor: Lower Cost-Sharing for Chronic Conditions

Chronically ill patients, who are more likely to require necessary care, should pay less for health insurance, Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, argued in an op-ed for the New York Times.

The U.S. healthcare system should not apply cost-sharing to all insurance beneficiaries equally, said Carroll, who pointed to a recent JAMA Pediatrics study that found high cost-sharing led children with a manageable chronic condition (asthma) to delay or even skip recommended care.

"We want them to use the healthcare system. With respect to asthma, prevention and maintenance are far better than trying to treat a child already suffering from an attack," he wrote.

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Source: Fierce Health Payer