Low-deductible plans with small copays can inflate employer costs by up to 40% because employees file claims for minor expenses. Health insurance should cover catastrophic events like surgery and hospitalization, while routine care like check-ups and antibiotics should be out-of-pocket, just as auto insurance doesn't cover maintenance.
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According to the Agency for Healthcare Research, low deductibles and small copays can increase the cost of your company health insurance by as much as 40%. That's because minimal copayments enable and encourage employees to submit insurance claims for minor healthcare expenses that they can afford to pay without insurance. Of course, we all need insurance to cover major healthcare expenses like surgery or hospitalization. Cancer or diabetes, stroke or heart attack. But expecting our health insurance to pay for minor medical expenses like routine checkups, antibiotics and immunizations, teeth cleaning and vision exams is like expecting our auto insurance to pay for routine maintenance like oil changes, tune-ups, tires and brakes, or expecting our homeowners insurance to pay for household repairs like plumbing, electrical, roofing, and painting. We certainly need to pay for those expenses, but we don't need insurance to pay for them. That's one reason why auto and home