Consumer-Directed Health Plans Have Little Effect On Curbing Spending On 26 ‘Low-Value’ Services

Consumer-directed health plans have little effect on curbing spending on 26 'low-value' health care services (low-value services). Low-value services include services that offer unclear clinical benefits, or no clinical benefits, in different medical specialties.

The 26 services that are the focus of this study include those identified as low-value by the Choosing Wisely initiative, which solicited recommendations from 75 physician and professional societies. The 26 services fall into five broad specialties: cardiovascular testing and procedures; diagnostic and preventive testing; head and neurologic testing; musculoskeletal testing and procedures; and preoperative testing.

26 Low . . .