Consumers With Chronic Conditions May Disproportionately Pay Out-Of-Pocket Costs For Preventive Care

While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services with no consumer cost-sharing, out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for which they should be exempt are still incurred, according to a recent study.

Gaps in enforcing the cost-sharing exemption particularly affect those with chronic conditions, who pay higher OOP costs overall. Those with chronic conditions were more likely to experience cost-sharing for preventive care and had greater expected spending overall. Reasons could include incorrect coding of medical care.

“Patients with diabetes may be more likely to have their wellness . . .