Hold on. Doctors don’t really cost that much. They bill that much because they know insurance will only pay a fraction. If you tell them you don’t have insurance, you pay a more reasonable amount - I just saw a cardiologist for $150 out of pocket because I lost my coverage, and have to wait until January 1st for new coverage. With insurance, they’d bill around $300, I’d pay a $75 copay, then my insurance would refuse to pay the rest because I haven’t reached my deductible yet, so I’d be billed for the remainder, and insurance would pocket the $300-400 per month I pay, plus whatever my employer pays, which is easily over $1000 a month. So yeah, why do we have insurance? Because a few years ago, the government decided to require everyone have health insurance or pay a fine, so insurance companies would have more healthy people paying in to offset the cost of people who actually use their insurance, with the intended result of cost going down. Instead, they now have a captive audience, so instead, cost went up. Thanks Obama.
That’s entirely up the doctor. Most do not do that. They’ll charge you the full amount since they can get in hot water with insurance if they have two prices for insured and uninsured patients.
Also what? Medical insurance is not federally regulated. You don’t need have insurance.
Also get fucked if you have a chronic condition. Good luck getting expensive medication without insurance.
Hold on. Doctors don’t really cost that much. They bill that much because they know insurance will only pay a fraction. If you tell them you don’t have insurance, you pay a more reasonable amount - I just saw a cardiologist for $150 out of pocket because I lost my coverage, and have to wait until January 1st for new coverage. With insurance, they’d bill around $300, I’d pay a $75 copay, then my insurance would refuse to pay the rest because I haven’t reached my deductible yet, so I’d be billed for the remainder, and insurance would pocket the $300-400 per month I pay, plus whatever my employer pays, which is easily over $1000 a month. So yeah, why do we have insurance? Because a few years ago, the government decided to require everyone have health insurance or pay a fine, so insurance companies would have more healthy people paying in to offset the cost of people who actually use their insurance, with the intended result of cost going down. Instead, they now have a captive audience, so instead, cost went up. Thanks Obama.
That’s entirely up the doctor. Most do not do that. They’ll charge you the full amount since they can get in hot water with insurance if they have two prices for insured and uninsured patients.
Also what? Medical insurance is not federally regulated. You don’t need have insurance.
Also get fucked if you have a chronic condition. Good luck getting expensive medication without insurance.
Didn’t realize it ended way back in 2018, but yeah, originally the affordable care act did include such a requirement.