A growing number of U.S. workers are covered by health insurance that sticks them with a bigger share of the medical bill but also softens that blow by providing a special account to help with the expense.
Companies are turning more to so-called consumer-directed health plans that push patients to shop around for the best prices for care, because they cost less than other types of coverage and help hold down future increases.
Kaiser Family Foundation says nearly 3 out of 10 employees have this kind of coverage, up from 2 out of 10 in 2014. These plans were almost unheard of a decade ago.
Overall, Kaiser says premiums, or the cost of coverage, are still growing modestly for employer-sponsored health insurance, the country’s most common form of coverage.
