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This is exactly how insurance and medicine ought to work. The only way we're going to fix the costs in our healthcare system is through high-deductible plans an
by darawk 8y ago
This is exactly how insurance and medicine ought to work. The only way we're going to fix the costs in our healthcare system is through high-deductible plans and transparent pricing.
> Now, instead of getting paid by insurance companies on a predictable schedule, health-care providers have to engage in an awkward dance. One moment they’re removing a pre-cancerous skin mole. The next, they’re haranguing patients to pay what’s become a growing portion of the total medical bill.
In a situation like that, why aren't they just taking the money upfront? It's not like a skin mole is ultra urgent.
- fzeroracer 8y agoConsidering high deductible plans are a scam and part of the reason why we're in this situation in the first place, I disagree.
- lotsofpulp 8y agoHigh deductible plans are the closest thing to health insurance by definition. Your home insurance doesn't cover routine and expected problems such as roofing replacement or seal coating the driveway. It's for unexpected AND unaffordable damages.
- fzeroracer 8y agoI would say anything that discourages people from getting basic preventative care is a bad thing even if in your strange world HDHP is somehow closer to 'real' health insurance. HDHPs as I mentioned encourage people to bet against their own health, that they will never get in an accident, or their body won't decide to crap out on them and so forth. Additionally they defeat the entire purpose of insurance which is that the people at risk are subsidized by the healthier people; if you separate the two pools then the healthy pay marginally less while the unhealthy pay a lot more. For example, would you consider HDHPs that don't cover vaccines to be a good or a bad thing? It's a routine checkup, yet we've established that in general it's of greater benefit to society if we do get those routine checkups done.
- darawk 8y ago> I would say anything that discourages people from getting basic preventative care is a bad thing even if in your strange world HDHP is somehow closer to 'real' health insurance. Does it discourage that? You still want to get preventative care, because if you don't, you'll have to pay more later. Secondly, people are still strongly disincentivized to become sick because of the way that being sick feels. > HDHPs as I mentioned encourage people to bet against their own health, that they will never get in an accident, or their body won't decide to crap out on them and so forth. Additionally they defeat the entire purpose of insurance which is that the people at risk are subsidized by the healthier people; if you separate the two pools then the healthy pay marginally less while the unhealthy pay a lot more. Who said anything about separating pools? > For example, would you consider HDHPs that don't cover vaccines to be a good or a bad thing? It's a routine checkup, yet we've established that in general it's of greater benefit to society if we do get those routine checkups done. Vaccines are cheap and plentiful. We already require kids to be vaccinated before they can attend school. I'm not sure why insuring them would increase or decrease their rates.
- nikki-9696 8y ago"We already require kids to be vaccinated before they can attend school." No, not everywhere does anymore. "I'm not sure why insuring them would increase or decrease their rates." Because some people are very poor. My friend didn't get her flu shot because she couldn't afford the extra $50 this month. And that's a cheap vaccine that doesn't also require a doctor visit to go with. Some people have to worry more about today than tomorrow or they don't have food and rent money this month.
- lotsofpulp 8y agoEveryone I know who has health insurance through employer or healthcare.gov has flu vaccines paid for, and an annual physical.
- darawk 8y agoHow, exactly, are high deductible plans a scam?