Consumer-directed health care for persons under 65 years of age with private health insurance: United States, 2007

Abstract

Data from the National Health Interview Survey. In 2007, 17.3% of persons under 65 years of age with private health insurance were enrolled in a high deductible health plan (HDHP), 4.5% were enrolled in a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP), and 14.8% were in a family with a flexible spending account for medical expenses (FSA); Persons with directly purchased private health insurance were more likely to be enrolled in a high deductible plan than those who obtained their private health insurance through an employer or union; Higher incomes and higher educational attainment were associated with greater uptake and enrollment in HDHPs, CDHPs, and FSAs. National attention to consumer-directed health care has increased following the enactment of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173), which established tax-advantaged health savings accounts (1). Consumer-directed health care enables individuals to have more control over when and how they access care, what types of care they use, and how much they spend on health care services. This report includes estimates of three measures of consumer-directed private health care. Estimates for 2007 are provided for enrollment in high deductible health plans (HDHPs), plans with high deductibles coupled with health savings accounts also known as consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs), and the percentage of individuals with private coverage whose family has a flexible spending account (FSA) for medical expenses, by selected sociodemographic characteristics.