Author Topic: Healthcare - have you experienced this? What did you do?  (Read 1963 times)

retired?

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Healthcare - have you experienced this? What did you do?
« on: September 29, 2014, 09:00:32 AM »
After quitting job, moved to a high deductible plan ($5k) for all care (i.e. even main doc is full cost rather than a copay......chose since annual diff in premiums was $2400 and could cover doc visits).

Wife gets sick.  We hadn't chosen PCP's yet and it was later on Friday afternoon.  Looked up a couple clinics.  My wife called to ask how much to be seen with no insurance.  Answer $125.  We think ok, but perhaps BCBS has negotiated a better rate.  Wife goes to clinic and presents insurance and asks how much.  Answer $230!  She tells them ok, then I don't want to use the insurance.  They tell her that once insurance is presented, it is their policy to use it.  My wife walked out.

Basically, we've learned that we really have major medical and that we pay for insurance for the privilege of paying more for doc visits.

Our old doc is now not in-network.  We want to ask him how much for a visit with no insurance rather than move in-network for the privilege of paying more.

Silver lining - while uncomfortable over the weekend, she felt good enough on Monday to not see any doc.  Cost $0.

2ndTimer

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Re: Healthcare - have you experienced this? What did you do?
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2014, 09:22:03 AM »
Yup.  Got my eyes checked at Costco and the doc told me up front it was a 40% discount for cash.  Fine with me as I didn't have vision insurance.

retired?

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Re: Healthcare - have you experienced this? What did you do?
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2014, 10:37:37 AM »
We've used Walmart or Costco for vision and it is great.  I was completely caught off guard by the clinic requiring us to use insurance once it has been mentioned.  Perhaps that is the way to go - ask if it is more expensive with or without insurance up front.  But, to find out, you have to provide the insurance plan so they can look it up.  At that point, this clinic's policy was to only allow us to use our insurance.  That was the part that baffled me and seemed wrong.....or, at least bad business.