In 1961 the health plan I administered had a $100 deductible on outpatient services similar to Part B of Medicare. If you applied medical inflation to that $100 it would be $2,386.07. The Part B Medicare deductible is actual $226 in 2023. Even the Part A hospital deductible is only $1,600 (but per benefit period).
Deductibles can vary significantly from plan to plan. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the 2022 average deductible for individual, employer-provided coverage was $1,763 ($2,543 at small companies vs. $1,493 at large companies).
KFF reported the average 2023 deductible for marketplace plans sold via HealthCare.gov, (combined for medical and prescription drugs) by metal rating: $7,481 for Bronze plans, $4,890 for Silver plans, $1,650 for Gold plans, and $45 for Platinum plans.
High Deductible Health Plans
For 2023, the IRS defines an HDHP as one with a minimum deductible of $1,500 for individual coverage or $3,000 for family coverage.
HDHPs can have higher deductibles, although they’re more limited than other plans in terms of total out-of-pocket caps: In 2023, an HDHP’s maximum out-of-pocket can’t exceed $7,500 for an individual or $15,000 for a family (versus $9,100 and $18,200 for other types of coverage).
Deductibles are intended to give patients a stake in spending on health care, to reduce insurance costs and thus help limit premiums. To offset this potential liability various tax-advantaged plans like Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts are available to most people. While tax free, they still mean money must be contributed- unless fully employer funded.
In reality HDHP do nothing to stem rising health care costs and in most cases are merely shifting costs to families
High deductibles mean that premiums should be lower than without such deductibles because the insured is absorbing the risk, not the insurer and, in fact, in any given year most families never met their deductibles- even before they were high.
ON THE OTHER HAND, high deductibles are a financial burden for many families and that should be a concern. To offset some of this risk, I suggest the difference in premiums between the standard and high deductible plan when available, be set aside – in a tax-advantaged vehicle – for at least one year as a contingency fund should the high deductible become a major expense.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Nope. If you indexed the $100 deductible by the actual increase in medical spending (national health spend, 7.4% per year on average since 1970), you would have a deductible closer to $4,100.
“high deductible” health plans is a misnomer.
It is only “high” because wages haven’t kept pact with health care spending – so when we see $1,500 (HSA-capable minimum), looks significant.
Finally, average out of pocket spend or Americans in the lower half of medical expense was $374 in 2019, half of all Americans shouldered only 3% of total health spending (Kaiser). The median was likely less than the average.
The fact is that Americans want the best health care coverage YOUR money will buy!
LikeLike