If you aren’t carrying non-catastrophic insurance, and the dr’s visit costs $200 per pop, not including any lab work, prescriptions, every one will find a way to make their routine visits catastrophic.
Any time insurance is mandatory, someone will find a way to drive up costs, resulting in the payer lowest on the totem pole paying.
If you aren’t carrying non-catastrophic insurance, and the dr’s visit costs $200 per pop, not including any lab work, prescriptions, every one will find a way to make their routine visits catastrophic.
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yes I can see how that would be the case if government is putting $ to pay for it. But what if govt said “you have to have it but you have to figure out how to pay for it, like car insurance”?
No insurance company pays a internal med doctor $200 for a visit. Maybe $50, maybe $75. I seriously doubt $200. If you are paying cash, you could see the doctor for probably $50, $75-$100 for a physical (in Midwest). One of the main sources of increased physician prices is their need to hire more staff to get money from managed care companies (read Medicare/Medicaid). Thus, the concierge doctors can run an office with 2 staff members and provide above average care. Little billing, little overhead. Plus, if you are paying only $250/mo. in premiums for your catastrophic insurance (total guess) vs. $1000/mo for full coverage, it doesn't take long to pay for some tests or prescriptions or doctor's visits. Plus it lowers utilization of healthcare (as it is real, not free money) and the lower the demand, the lower the price. Also, the patient will find which MRI center does an MRI for $800 and skip the one that charges $2000 (though the insurance company will pay for either without blinking). I could go on, but most people's eyes have glazed over by now.
The other problem is that you don’t want people to avoid going to the doctor and miss a possible detection of cancer because they are cheap (especially after they reach 50) but on the other hand you don’t want people to go to the doctor every time they catch a cold.