Our quick take

• An NORC survey found that 44% of consumers report skipping treatment or medical tests due to the cost, and a third of respondents say they’re forced to choose between health care and life essentials like food, heat, and housing.
• In addition, JPMorgan Chase Institute reported that consumers immediately increased their total out-of-pocket health care spending by 60% in the week after receiving a tax refund, suggesting that liquidity from the tax refund enabled the increase in health care utilization.
• Health plans need to carefully consider their cost-sharing design, otherwise they risk undermining cost containment efforts via higher member spend in avoidable, acute care and high variations in seasonal utilization patterns based on variable patient cash flow.