Do <scp>high‐deductible</scp> health plans affect price paid for childbirth?

OBJECTIVE: To test whether out‐of‐pocket costs and negotiated hospital prices for childbirth change after enrollment in high‐deductible health plans (HDHPs) and whether price effects differ in markets with more hospitals. DATA SOURCES: Administrative medical claims data from 2010 to 2014 from three large commercial insurers with plans in all U.S. states provided by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). STUDY DESIGN: I identify employer groups that switched from non‐HDHPs in 1 year to HDHPs in a subsequent year. I estimate enrollees&#39; change in out‐of‐pocket costs and negotiated hospital prices for childbirth after HDHP switch, relative to a comparison group of employers that do not switch plans. I use a triple‐difference design to estimate price changes for enrollees in markets with more hospital choices. Finally, I re‐estimate models with hospital‐fixed effects. DATA COLLECTION: From the HCCI sample, childbearing women enrolled in an employer‐sponsored plan with at least 10 people. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Switching to an HDHP increases out‐of‐pocket cost $227 (p