Although more Americans have health insurance coverage, 25 percent of non-elderly Americans don’t have enough liquid assets to cover the deductible on their health insurance plan, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The report finds that many consumers don’t have the cash on hand to cover the cost of a mid-range deductible or $1,200 for an individual or $2,400 per family. High deductible health plans require that consumers cover their health care costs out of pocket until they’ve met their deductible.
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Last month I became eligible for my companies insurance plan and I was pretty pumped up since I haven't had insurance for quite awhile. So when I recieved the packet of info I started reading and I came to find out the way the policy works is the first $6500 deductible was entirely out of pocket before the insurance kicked even one cent in. Add that to the biweekly payment, $110.00, and that raises the figure to just over $9000 before they pay anything. This is what they call affordable health care? Might as well buy a Ferrari and park it in the driveway. Couldn't afford to actually drive it after the car payment and insurance but at least I would have something pretty to look at.
ReplyDeleteI pay for my own insurance, I don't go through my employer and I get a better deal. That being said our deductible is so high that we never come close to using it. Now we have the "if something goes wrong plan" and we pay all of our doctors cash. Paying your doctor cash gives us a 40 to 50% discount on services. At the end of the year we end up saving (in theory) a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteHow do you get a savings paying cash? Have you found a physician that does NOT accept insurance, but prefers self-pay?
ReplyDelete9:08--
ReplyDeleteI don't speak for 7:25, but when you pay in full @ the time of the visit @ TLC, you get a 20% discount. We cannot afford the insurance premiums, nor do we get a discount with the sliding scale, as we make "too much money".
You poor things.
ReplyDeleteHave you not realized yet that the ENTIRE purpose of this health care "revolution" was to take your premiums and find a way NOT to have to pay anything?
How would you go about doing that?
The first thing --- the very first thing -- would be to make it too expensive to use. A high deductible does that very nicely, doesn't it?
How many middle class people have $7-10,000 dollars a year to put towards doctor bills? OUT OF THEIR POCKET! Then there are co-pays, too.
Your "representatives" did this to you.
Keep cheering, right up to the part where the doctor says you need $6500 for your child's surgery. Or it doesn't get done.
He wants it in cash.
Muhahahhahhahhahhaa.......