A 52-year-old woman with severe, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis is evaluated in the rhe… — USMLE Step 3

A $52$ -year-old woman with severe, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis is evaluated in the rheumatology clinic. Her disease has progressed despite optimized therapy with methotrexate. The physician decides to initiate a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor. The patient expresses concern about the financial burden of this new therapy, as she recently switched to an employer-sponsored high-deductible health plan.

The clinic's financial counselor reviews her insurance benefits for the new calendar year:

* Annual deductible: USD $2,500$
* Coinsurance: $20\%$ (patient responsibility after the deductible is met)
* Annual out-of-pocket maximum: USD $6,500$

The patient has not utilized any healthcare services yet this year, meaning USD $0$ has been applied to her deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. The negotiated rate for a one-month supply of the TNF inhibitor is USD $4,500$ .

What is the exact out-of-pocket amount (in dollars) the patient will be required to pay for her first month's supply of this medication?

Answer: 2900 dollars

Answer

2900

The correct calculation follows the standard sequence of health insurance benefits: first, the patient pays 100% of costs until the annual deductible is met. The patient pays the first USD 2,500 of the USD 4,500 medication cost. The remaining USD 2,000 is shared between the patient and the insurer according to the coinsurance rate. The patient pays 20% of USD 2,000, which is USD 400. Adding the deductible (USD 2,500) and the coinsurance (USD 400) gives a total out-of-pocket cost of USD 2,900. This amount does not exceed the annual out-of-pocket maximum of USD 6,500, so no further adjustments are needed.

Step-by-Step Solution

Determine the amount of the drug cost applied to the annual deductible.

USD

2,500

The patient has not used any healthcare services this year, so she must meet the entire deductible before the insurance plan begins to share costs.

Calculate the remaining balance of the medication cost after the deductible is met.

USD

4,500

- USD

2,500

= USD

2,000

This is the portion of the cost that is subject to the coinsurance rate.

Calculate the patient's coinsurance responsibility.

USD

2,000

\times 0.20 = USD

400

The patient is responsible for 20% of the costs remaining after the deductible is met.

Calculate the total out-of-pocket cost for this encounter.

USD

2,500

+ USD

400

= USD

2,900

The total financial responsibility is the sum of the deductible paid and the coinsurance paid.

Verify the total against the annual out-of-pocket maximum.

USD

2,900

is less than USD

6,500

Because the total is below the maximum, the calculated amount is the exact amount the patient owes.

Key Concept

Calculation of patient financial responsibility including deductibles, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximums, which is critical for advising patients on high-value care and mitigating financial toxicity.

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