Yep.
Duh, this was the plan all along.
I’d been living in constant pain. When I was notified I’d be laid off I used my insurance for two extensive foot operations. The doctor was amazing and did a fantastic job. He resectioned bone, reshaped my feet, cleaned out joints...so how much did I pay for this? Out of pocket roughly $100. I’m not complaining, but it’s ridiculous. If you take your car to the dealer you’ll pay $75-95/hour plus parts. I paid the cost of a decent dinner for three in a moderately nice restaurant. I would not at all have minded paying, say, $10,000. But to have these operations without insurance would have cost me much, much more than that.
Funny, the doctor gave me options on where I could have it done and one of them was the hospital. I asked him what the price differences were and he asked, “Why do you care? You’re completely covered.” It turns out the hospital was many times more expensive so I chose the other option.
The fact that the cost is disassociated from the user is bound to run up the price.
For decades I felt business should get out of the insurance business. Give employees a hit of money and let them purchase their own insurance. It would actually unleash the free market to provide innovative products. And free business from the burden of providing health care.
They would be stupid not to. It is far cheaper to pay the penalties than the cost of health care for their employees. Business has always wanted to decouple health care from employment.
Absolutely...This was like a big thing for unions to give folks these benefits years ago. They were all planning on Free Health Care for Life....and they’re all getting screwed.
Why wouldn’t they? BO is making it increasing more expensive to provide this benefit and doesn’t want the competition from the government program. Which is why those proposing to “fix it” are fools or worse.
It isn’t a true marketplace in the free market meaning of the word. It’s more like ‘marketplace’ that NPR radio program that twists the free market into a socialist pretzel.