To me, the #1 benefit of health insurance is not the insurance (i.e., swapping the cost of the unlikely, major expenses for a regular constant payment). It is p

To me, the #1 benefit of health insurance is not the insurance (i.e., swapping the cost of the unlikely, major expenses for a regular constant payment). It is price negotiation with service providers. I would love to be able to get, from my insurer, a low cost option just for this: patient pays 100% of their standard negotiated rates. I go to the same network, they pay the doctor and bill me for the payment. Premiums just need to cover their admin cost plus some insurance that kicks in if I do not pay. Doctors should not care -- they still get the same $$ from the same source the same way. Catastrophic coverage can be arranged separately, but the above schema I think would provide much of the current insurance benefits at the much lower cost.