Non-Group Health Insurance: Many Insured Americans with High Out-of-Pocket Costs Forgo Needed Health Care

Approximately 14.1 million previously uninsured Americans gained health insurance between the beginning of open enrollment in October 2013 and March 4, 2015. Some of the greatest declines in uninsured rates were for lower- and middle-income consumers, including those eligible for tax credits to help pay their premiums for plans in the health insurance marketplaces. But simply having health insurance is no guarantee that consumers can afford to pay for health care. Unfortunately, this study shows that, for many Americans with non-group coverage, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs are prohibitively high, and are associated with many of these insured consumers forgoing needed health care.