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Also as an American, my medical record mostly just consists of how many days since the last time I went to the doctor. For those without insurance, less is more

Also as an American, my medical record mostly just consists of how many days since the last time I went to the doctor. For those without insurance, less is more when it comes to number of visits. If you have insurance, the opposite is the case.

jacobwilliamroy 7y ago
Yeah! It's like golf!
- DailyHN 7y ago
  > Yeah! It's like golf! Yes, and par would be like needing a doctor about once every three months. Keep it less frequent than that, and you're winning the game. A friend of mine without insurance skateboards at a skate park. And I'm like "dude, that's pretty risky for not having insurance." He explained the math to me, as long as he doesn't break a bone or need stitches more than once every few months, then not paying for insurance saves him money even if he has to pay $300-500 out of pocket at a walk-in clinic. For young people in America, it seems that the only time that insurance isn't a net negative is when: 1) you have a chronic illness that requires regular treatments, 2) you have been diagnosed with cancer, and 3) pregnancy.
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    > For young people in America, it seems that the only time that insurance isn't a net negative Insurance inherently is on average a net negative, but it constrains the risk that your needed costs unexpectedly are significantly above average, which can be catastrophic otherwise, especially in a system where care beyond immediate stabilization is gated by ability to pay. so that not having resources doesn't just mean a debt dischargeable in bankruptcy but potential denial of care.
  - dsfyu404ed 7y ago
    Insurance is a net negative for anybody paying for regular, routine care. Insurance and the massive rats nest of middle men and perverse incentives it creates is why a physical, stitches and every other boring service provided thousands of times per day costs hundreds of dollars.
  - jklein11 7y ago
    There is no way that a broken bone without insurance is 300-500. It is probably closer to 3000-5000.
kbutler 7y ago
Even if doctor visits were free, I have other things I'd rather do with my time. That said, we definitely need healthcare consumers to be able to make price-based decisions if we want to optimize for costs.
- DailyHN 7y ago
  Yes, and more than having better things to do, you can be ruined by a false-positive. Though, I'm sure when you actually need a doctor, you won't be feeling that you still have better things to do.

jacobwilliamroy 7y ago

Yeah! It's like golf!

DailyHN 7y ago
> Yeah! It's like golf! Yes, and par would be like needing a doctor about once every three months. Keep it less frequent than that, and you're winning the game. A friend of mine without insurance skateboards at a skate park. And I'm like "dude, that's pretty risky for not having insurance." He explained the math to me, as long as he doesn't break a bone or need stitches more than once every few months, then not paying for insurance saves him money even if he has to pay $300-500 out of pocket at a walk-in clinic. For young people in America, it seems that the only time that insurance isn't a net negative is when: 1) you have a chronic illness that requires regular treatments, 2) you have been diagnosed with cancer, and 3) pregnancy.
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > For young people in America, it seems that the only time that insurance isn't a net negative Insurance inherently is on average a net negative, but it constrains the risk that your needed costs unexpectedly are significantly above average, which can be catastrophic otherwise, especially in a system where care beyond immediate stabilization is gated by ability to pay. so that not having resources doesn't just mean a debt dischargeable in bankruptcy but potential denial of care.
- dsfyu404ed 7y ago
  Insurance is a net negative for anybody paying for regular, routine care. Insurance and the massive rats nest of middle men and perverse incentives it creates is why a physical, stitches and every other boring service provided thousands of times per day costs hundreds of dollars.
- jklein11 7y ago
  There is no way that a broken bone without insurance is 300-500. It is probably closer to 3000-5000.

kbutler 7y ago

Even if doctor visits were free, I have other things I'd rather do with my time. That said, we definitely need healthcare consumers to be able to make price-based decisions if we want to optimize for costs.

DailyHN 7y ago
Yes, and more than having better things to do, you can be ruined by a false-positive. Though, I'm sure when you actually need a doctor, you won't be feeling that you still have better things to do.