Healthcare Bill Saves $2,500 family per year

[scooterbug44]

That's really the way plans should work. We should manage routine trips to the Doctor as sensible consumers, going only when its really necessary. Catastrophic illness, on the other hand, is something that everyone needs.

30 years ago, that's how most plans worked. Since then, we've gone to $10 & $15 copay plans that actually incent people to go to the doctor frivolously. Same for prescriptions.

I tried to change my company's plan out this year from a low deductible, Aetna PPO to a high deductible plan with an HSA (Health Savings Account) assuming it would help incent my employees to manage their spending, give them another retirement funding vehicle and have minimal impact on my company's health care costs. (I currently spend about $8800 per employee per year and they each spend about $2200. I pay 80%)

Boy was I wrong, If I had done that it (and seeded each employees HSA) it would have substantially raised my insurance costs. That still makes no sense to me.

I have never gone to the doctor just because I had a low co-pay. I do go to the eye doctor and dentist for preventative care even though those costs are 100% out of my pocket. :roll:

The fact that HSAs raise costs was something we also found out when trying to research all the options to save costs. No logic to the system.

 

[Em]

...

30 years ago, that's how most plans worked. Since then, we've gone to $10 & $15 copay plans that actually incent people to go to the doctor frivolously. Same for prescriptions....

The inexpensive co-pays are great when you have to go, but one additional thing they cause is a lack of shopping for better prices. Try to name an item for which American's don't try and shop for the best price. They are few. When "someone else" (insurance company) is footing the bill, there is zero incentive to even ask the doctor for the amounts of the visit, lab tests, etc. All we want to know is "Will my insurance cover it?" That is why my insurance paid $80ea for an three ace wrap-bandages when I had knee surgery many years ago.

 

[Matt J]

Anytime that I've worked for a corporation they've offered both options. Co-pays for folks with ongoing medical issues that required frequent doctor visits and HSA's for people, like me, who have the annual doctor trip for the flu and the occasional hospital trip thanks to allergies.