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Then they are just quoting you the "insurance price". Think about it, how could it possibly be more expensive to cut out the middle man?

by nonbel 7y ago

lotsofpulp 7y ago
Because you don’t want to deal with the type of person that doesn’t have insurance. They may be more likely to not pay, or otherwise unpleasant to deal with.
- nonbel 7y ago
  > They may be more likely to not pay, or otherwise unpleasant to deal with. This sounds like the typical experience with insurance companies...
crazygringo 7y ago
Um, no. My original comment explained, their cash prices are higher than the prices through insurance. (Also there's no single "insurance price", they're different for each plan they accept.) And honestly, that's supposed to be one of the points of insurance prices, that they negotiate prices down by providing volume. So there are clearly different economic factors at play, in different doctor's offices and hospitals. I'm just making the point it's not always the case that the cash price is cheaper -- it can be more. I don't need to "think about it", it's just the facts.
- nonbel 7y ago
  There is a "cash price" in many contracts between the insurance company and provider. If you tell them you have insurance the provider must quote you this inflated price. You need to go to a place that does not know you have insurance, say you do not have any, and then get the cash price from them.
  - crazygringo 7y ago
    How do you know that? I'm looking online and can't find any mention whatsoever. What's the contract term for it? And what percentage of health plans in the US does that apply to? And how often do doctors actually follow that? In my case, the doctors in this office are certainly unaware of anything like that. Like I said, the doctor quotes the cash price, which is standard for the office, not having the slightest idea of which insurance I have. You keep insisting there's this separate higher cash price, but I'm explaining to you the fact that in this case, there obviously isn't, in practice.
    - nonbel 7y ago
      Read here: https://selfpaypatient.com/2015/05/12/insured-but-not-letting-the-doctor-know/ https://selfpaypatient.com/2015/05/12/insured-but-not-lettin... How can it otherwise possibly make sense that they charge more for not having to deal with insurance company bureaucracy?
cjlars 7y ago
Well individuals have less negotiating leverage than groups, so that could account for the price difference.

Then they are just quoting you the "insurance price". Think about it, how could it possibly be more expensive to cut out the middle man?

by nonbel 7y ago

Then they are just quoting you the "insurance price". Think about it, how could it possibly be more expensive to cut out the middle man?

lotsofpulp 7y ago

Because you don’t want to deal with the type of person that doesn’t have insurance. They may be more likely to not pay, or otherwise unpleasant to deal with.

nonbel 7y ago
> They may be more likely to not pay, or otherwise unpleasant to deal with. This sounds like the typical experience with insurance companies...

crazygringo 7y ago

Um, no. My original comment explained, their cash prices are higher than the prices through insurance. (Also there's no single "insurance price", they're different for each plan they accept.) And honestly, that's supposed to be one of the points of insurance prices, that they negotiate prices down by providing volume. So there are clearly different economic factors at play, in different doctor's offices and hospitals. I'm just making the point it's not always the case that the cash price is cheaper -- it can be more. I don't need to "think about it", it's just the facts.

nonbel 7y ago
There is a "cash price" in many contracts between the insurance company and provider. If you tell them you have insurance the provider must quote you this inflated price. You need to go to a place that does not know you have insurance, say you do not have any, and then get the cash price from them.
- crazygringo 7y ago
  How do you know that? I'm looking online and can't find any mention whatsoever. What's the contract term for it? And what percentage of health plans in the US does that apply to? And how often do doctors actually follow that? In my case, the doctors in this office are certainly unaware of anything like that. Like I said, the doctor quotes the cash price, which is standard for the office, not having the slightest idea of which insurance I have. You keep insisting there's this separate higher cash price, but I'm explaining to you the fact that in this case, there obviously isn't, in practice.
  - nonbel 7y ago
    Read here: https://selfpaypatient.com/2015/05/12/insured-but-not-letting-the-doctor-know/ https://selfpaypatient.com/2015/05/12/insured-but-not-lettin... How can it otherwise possibly make sense that they charge more for not having to deal with insurance company bureaucracy?

cjlars 7y ago

Well individuals have less negotiating leverage than groups, so that could account for the price difference.