The Questionable Value of Medical Screening in the Small-Group Health Insurance Market

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Insurers perform medical screening to assess risk for health insurance in the small-group market. Most reform proposals eliminate screening because it denies coverage to those who need it. This DataWatch empirically analyzes the value of medical screening to insurers. We analyzed claims of two employed populations covered by a large insurer--one screened and the other not screened. We found no significant difference in the amounts claimed by these two populations over six years. This suggests that medical screening could be eliminated in the small-group market without an increase in premiums.

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