Dive Brief:
- A new study from the Society of Actuaries says knee-replacement surgery was the most popular "preference-sensitive" treatment among newly insured under the ACA at the beginning of 2014. "Preference-sensitive" care refers to non-urgent or optional healthcare treatment.
- Knee-replacement surgery was followed in popularity by surgery to relieve lower-back pain, upper endoscopies and gallbladder removal.
- The study compared claims from newly insured to those with coverage and analyzed which services the former had used more often.
Dive Insight:
Without health insurance, a total knee replacement can cost up to $35,000 or more. Those with insurance can expect to pay out-of-pocket expenses, depending on their deductible and co-pay. Larry Levitt, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation told the National Journal that "these results show how giving health insurance to people who lacked it before can improve their quality of life."
However, he concluded that although newly insured used more services initially, it doesn't indicate that would continue into the future, adding that the study findings may provide the data that insurance regulators need to push back on insurers proposing big rate hikes for 2016.