Weigh pros and cons before increasing patient cost sharing, says economist Bastian Ravesteijn

According to Ravesteijn, the idea may sound appealing as a way to curb healthcare costs, but its negative consequences are largely overlooked. Academic research shows that higher out-of-pocket payments do not only discourage low-value care, but also deter necessary and effective treatment, sometimes leading to serious health consequences and higher costs in the long run.

Ravesteijn argues that any increase in the costs that patients pay out of pocket should be assessed just as rigorously as a new medicine: through an independent analysis of desirable and undesirable effects, with attention to the loss of risk protection and wider societal effects, and with credible evaluation of effects. Without such a careful assessment, he warns, policymakers risk causing additional harm despite good intentions.