Imagine buying the car of your dreams, but you had to drain your bank account to make the purchase. And then, due to the rising cost of gas and maintenance, you can't actually drive it. Even worse, every year end, the car disappears and, filled with hope, you shell out for a new, slightly more expensive one that, again, you can't afford to drive.

This is what it is like for thousands of Americans with "good" employer-sponsored health insurance. Due to increasing premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, Americans are being financially squeezed: The average annual family coverage premium in 2023 was $23,968 (with the employee contributing $6,575 of that). Many are paying big deductibles, with average aggregate deductibles of $4,533 per family (2022) for HSA-qualified high-deductible health plans.

Since many of these insured individuals and families can't afford their deductibles on top of their premiums, they avoid going to the doctor or taking their prescription medicines, or both. According to a recent poll, (43%) of insured Americans are avoiding care due to cost concerns. As a result, the most financially exposed do not benefit from the millions of dollars employers contribute towards keeping them healthy and productive.