Make the most of a high-deductible health plan
4/20/202615 min
Did you know that if you have a high-deductible health plan, some services like immunizations and screenings are free (even if you haven't met your deductible)? Or that you might be able to invest the money in your HSA? This episode, KFF Health News reporter Jackie Fortiér shares tips on getting the most out of your HDHP.
Have a question about navigating the health care system? Contact us here and you might be part of an upcoming episode of Health Care Helpline.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Marielle Segarra· Host0:18
You're listening to Life Kit [upbeat music] from NPR. Hey, it's Marielle. Today we're talking about health insurance, specifically high-deductible health plans. [upbeat music] High-deductible health plans are common in the US. A lot of people choose them because they have much cheaper premiums, and premiums are what you pay every month just to have the insurance, even if you don't use it. If you get your insurance through work, these will come out of your paycheck. The thing is, high-deductible plans also have high deductibles.
Jackie Fortiér· Guest0:49
Your deductible is the amount that you have to pay for covered services before your insurance starts sharing costs.
Marielle Segarra· Host0:57
This is Jackie Fortier. She's been reporting on high-deductible health plans for an NPR and KFF health news series called Healthcare Helpline. Now, sharing costs means that after you've paid a certain amount out of pocket, your deductible, your insurance will pay a portion of each medical bill, and you'll pay the rest. Could be an eighty/twenty split, a seventy/thirty split. It depends on your plan. A lot of folks sign up for high-deductible plans because of the cheap premiums, but then they get surprised later. I talked to Madison Burgess. She's an elementary school teacher in San Diego,