One of the reasons healthcare in the United States costs so much is because dealing with health insurance companies is a hassle. The cost of dealing with insurance companies gets pushed onto the consumer. Fortunately, some doctors are starting to see the light and moving towards doing business in cash:
In March, Business Insider reported on a new movement happening with primary care doctors. It’s called direct primary care, and it works like this: Instead of accepting insurance for routine visits and drugs, these practices charge a monthly membership fee that covers most of what the average patient needs, including visits and drugs at much lower prices.
It’s happening at a time when high-deductible health plans are on the rise — a survey in September found that 51% of workers had a plan that required them to pay up to $1,000 out of pocket for healthcare until insurance picks up most of the rest.
And it’s not just happening in primary care. A number of specialists — oncologists, physical therapists, and even some hospitals — are jumping on board as well.
As government entangles itself more in the health insurance market the costs will continue to increase. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, many people are already at the point where they can’t afford health insurance. I hope the continuously increasing cost of insurance will cause this slow trend of cash-only doctors to take off like a rocket. The more the medical industry divorces itself from the State the more healthcare quality will increase and costs will decrease.
Its nigh on twenty years that I’ve been paying cash. Doctors give substantial discounts for cash. $35 for a $165 lab bill if using insurance; $15-35 OV. Even an eye surgery was $2,500 to the surgeon (the same Dr who made the diagnosis. The diagnosis was $75 OV and with two other opinions.), $800 to the anesthesiologist. With ins the bill would have been $12,000 with a $5,000 deductible. Eight dollars for Rx which, using ins, were over $200.
A Dr group did offer ‘membership fee’. It worked pretty much as you say. An HMO ran them out of business by claiming unfair business practices. A group of 25 Dr and staff are no match to a behemoth HMO.
Last month a series of OV to three different Dr and two lab trips were all out of pocket. The highest priced OV was $30. The lab work was $18 and $35. In total, way less than deductible and screw the paper work.
PPACA was never about healthcare except as the mechanism to promulgate increased control by the few over the many.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Fortunately, I think the power of the established players is waning as people are having a harder time playing the game by their rules. As they say, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip. If people can’t afford to play in the established arena they’re going to find an alternative. When people start flocking to cash doctors en masse the power will hopefully shift.