So what’s to come on the 3rd Day of Obamacare ??
Since the article gives no details about what the insurance premiums were, it is very hard to tell whether they are any better or worse off now. By nature, the “catastrophic” policies would have much lower premiums, and were designed to keep people from having to sell off assets or go bankrupt to pay medical bills. In theory, people should have set aside some savings each month (since the insurance premiums were relatively lower) to use toward actual medical bills.
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June 2011 I doubled over at 10 pm and was rushed to the local hospital; gall stones were the problem and I was admitted. 36 hours later I was discharged after my gall bladder was removed.
The bill came a week later:for my day and a half in the hospital the bill came out to be $35,000. My insurance covered all but $500 of it, but I was outraged. I made an appointment with the head of hospital administration for a line by line accounting of the charges.
He told me, “this will be a meeting short on time and to the point on specifics. It’s very simple: 35-40% of the people who come through these doors have no insurance at all, but under federal law, we must serve them. Payment for goods and services are a separate issue. Of course your pain pills don’t actually cost $75.00; your invoice reflects making up for a portion of the 40% uninsured. We take your bill and jam as much as we can on top of it to pay for those who have no coverage. They are free-riding on your ability to pay and the fact that you are a responsible citizen.
Not saying it's not a viable idea in some ways, but has that ever happened? 20 members end up needing emergency surgery for gall-bladder removal or whatever, in one year?
I would love to not acknowledge insurance coverage and just pay cash, with reimbursement later from insurance (lower rates!) but that would probably be illegal?