As a self employed individual, I have horrible medical insurance. My plan is a high deductible ($5,000 per year) plan with a health savings account.
I go to the doctor about once every couple of years for some issue. When I go I usually just tell them I have no insurance and pay my bill with my HSA debit card because I know the insurance won't pay it.
The last time I went, I made the mistake of telling them I had insurance but I wanted to go ahead and pay because it didn't meet my deductible. The clerks told me they still had to run it through insurance, which, in my mind, tells me a rate hike is now in order.
It's now been three months and I just received the bill to tell me what I already knew. I owe them the full amount and guess what? The doctor's visit was about twice what it would have been if I would have just paid while I was there.
It's why I believe if we really want to reign in health care costs, we ban insurance.
But Gordon, we can't do that. How would people pay?
The same way they pay for groceries.
If you don't believe costs would be more affordable without insurance simply look at plastic surgery and laser eye surgery; neither covered by insurance. One trip to a local gym will tell you boob jobs have never been more affordable and you can practically get laser eye surgery for the cost of a pair of glasses.
So the next time I hit the doc up, it's going to be no insurance.
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