This physicians’ research summary service says that, among older patients, an increase in co-pays resulted in fewer office visits and more hospitalizations.

Please note that the researchers used Medicare data. There is no way to know if the same results would be found in data from all adult patients, not just those 65 and up.

Journal Watch

“Recently, many health plans have increased co-payments for outpatient visits. Although the rationale presumably is to minimize unnecessary ambulatory care, the strategy could backfire if higher co-payments dissuade patients from obtaining necessary clinical services.”

Comment:

…“Even relatively small increases in outpatient co-payments might deter some patients from seeking timely medical attention. In the long run, the result could be poorer health and higher costs — precisely the opposite of what health care reform should accomplish.”

— Allan S. Brett, MD

Source: Journal Watch General Medicine January 28, 2010
Citation: N ew England Journal of Medicine, 2010, Jan 2