Health insurance deductibles have gone up 200% in the last decade, rising eight times faster than wages. Any way you look at it, the personal cost of healthcare - whether paying for insurance or paying directly for care - seems untenable. The cost of a family health insurance policy is now almost $20,000 per year, according to a Kaiser's Employer Health Benefits Survey. Although employers pick up most of this ($14,100), workers pay $5,550, up 65% from a decade ago. High deductibles are used by employers to limit increases in premiums. But high deductibles are among the greatest drivers of consumer dissatisfaction with healthcare. Employers are also turning to direct contracting with hospitals, narrowing provider networks, and reimbursing for telemedicine as methods or reducing the rise in healthcare spending. But all of these tactics reflect the utter failure of the healthcare industry - providers, insurers, suppliers, government - to establish a framework where innovation, creativity, and competition can work to disrupt the establishment and offer better products and experiences at a lower price. That is why Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan felt obligated to join forces in an attempt to improve care and reduce prices for their employees.
Read: CNN - Getting health insurance through work now costs nearly $20,000
Read: KFF 2018 Employer Health Benefits Survey
Read: Bloomberg - How Sky-High Deductibles Broke the U.S. Health Insurance System