3 ms·

"eliminate copays and deductibles, something no other universal healthcare system has done." Scottish NHS has no deductibles or copays in general, dentist has

"eliminate copays and deductibles, something no other universal healthcare system has done." Scottish NHS has no deductibles or copays in general, dentist has an fee for some people though. English system has a flat prescription fee of £9 or so for a minority of the population up to £100ish a year. It's very close to free at the point of use, however.

frosted-flakes 7y ago
Canada has no co-pays. The topic of payments never even comes up, unless you're not a resident. Prescription drugs and dental care are generally not covered, however. In fact, I still struggle to understand the concept of a co-pay. Is it like a deductible for automobile insurance?
- leetcrew 7y ago
  it's not really like a deductible. it's a small fixed cost you pay every time you see a doctor or fill a prescription. it creates a small amount of friction, presumably to prevent frivolous use of resources.
  - redler 7y ago
    There is also "co-insurance", which can be in the range of 20 to 50 percent of the billed amount, depending on one's plan. It should go without saying that 20 to 50 percent of the bill on almost any substantive medical problem can be a financial extinction-level event for many American families.
    - pnutjam 7y ago
      Let me give an example of the billing issues American's face. Last employer I paid around $9,100 annual ($350 every 2 weeks). This plan had a $6k deductible with no coverage until that was met, then a $6500 OOP (out-of-pocket) max. So the insurance company was guaranteed to get $15,600 before they paid anything outside of "preventative care". Now, unfortunately, the insurance company had me under a totally different plan, with a 7300 OOP max. Since I don't pay them, I pay my employer, I have to deal with my incompetent HR dept to get this fixed. They not only don't fix it, they somehow split my family so the member with the majority of expenditures is now on the correct plan, but everyone else is on a different plan. This causes the insurance company to claw back payments to doctors and bill me for old services, around $400.
- jdofaz 7y ago
  If the doctor bill is $100 and your co-pay is $20 then you pay the doctor $20 and the insurance pays the doctor $80. Co-pay because there are two payers.

frosted-flakes 7y ago

Canada has no co-pays. The topic of payments never even comes up, unless you're not a resident. Prescription drugs and dental care are generally not covered, however. In fact, I still struggle to understand the concept of a co-pay. Is it like a deductible for automobile insurance?

leetcrew 7y ago
it's not really like a deductible. it's a small fixed cost you pay every time you see a doctor or fill a prescription. it creates a small amount of friction, presumably to prevent frivolous use of resources.
- redler 7y ago
  There is also "co-insurance", which can be in the range of 20 to 50 percent of the billed amount, depending on one's plan. It should go without saying that 20 to 50 percent of the bill on almost any substantive medical problem can be a financial extinction-level event for many American families.
  - pnutjam 7y ago
    Let me give an example of the billing issues American's face. Last employer I paid around $9,100 annual ($350 every 2 weeks). This plan had a $6k deductible with no coverage until that was met, then a $6500 OOP (out-of-pocket) max. So the insurance company was guaranteed to get $15,600 before they paid anything outside of "preventative care". Now, unfortunately, the insurance company had me under a totally different plan, with a 7300 OOP max. Since I don't pay them, I pay my employer, I have to deal with my incompetent HR dept to get this fixed. They not only don't fix it, they somehow split my family so the member with the majority of expenditures is now on the correct plan, but everyone else is on a different plan. This causes the insurance company to claw back payments to doctors and bill me for old services, around $400.
jdofaz 7y ago
If the doctor bill is $100 and your co-pay is $20 then you pay the doctor $20 and the insurance pays the doctor $80. Co-pay because there are two payers.