According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Americans are using less health care. This can be attributed to the recession, to more people enrolled in high deductible health plans or (unlikely) a change in attitude about what is and is not necessary health care. One thing seems clear, the more people pay for health care the more they think about what they spend. The trick is to find the right balance so needed care is not avoided.
Will this trend continue? Very unlikely in my view. First, we are in a recession so people may be cautious today, but most important people may be confused about health care reform. When “reform” kicks in, stand back as demand soars. For more than a year Americans have been promised lower costs and higher quality, they have heard insurance companies beaten up and many anticipate far more additional benefits (and lower costs) than will be delivered. In addition, the mindset has been ingrained that no one can afford to pay for health care while at the same time PPACA adds new benefits, no cost sharing for an array of services, removes caps on coverage and generally further removes Americans from the cost of health care.
This all sets the stage for more demand and less personal responsibility for the cost of care in the years ahead.
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