No health insurance, what do you do? (coverage, claim, deductible)

[gentlearts]

If you are already have a family doctor, they will most likely charge you at a reduced scale. We were without insurance for a period of time and my doctor charged us what they would charge for a medicare patient. I think she charged me about $13. for an office visit.
If you do not, however, already have a doctor, good luck getting one if you are not insured.

[CTGirlNoMore]

It seems I missed something with the OP.

A woman I know has insurance, but really horrible insurance and has to pay a LOT out of pocket. One place she winds up paying a lot at will take off a good chunk of monmey if she pays in cash, or pays in full at that time instead of making payments.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Yeah, when I was without insurance some years ago and had an ambulance trip to the ER< that for-profit hospital dropped 25% off their price for a credit card payment. The ambulance service let me take a year to pay them slowly. never hurts to ask!

[piyf]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Doesn't sound practical to me either. What if something went wrong in another country? What are you going to do? You have no legal protection there.

Things can go wrong everywhere. Just because you leave the US doesn't mean the other country is worse in the medical field or you won't have any legal protection.

If someone has no medical insurance it is practical for some people. Maybe not to you or others with great health insurance but for some on a city that borders Canada or Mexico it can mean a great chance at something they otherwise couldn't afford.

[ceg0720]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

If you are already have a family doctor, they will most likely charge you at a reduced scale. We were without insurance for a period of time and my doctor charged us what they would charge for a medicare patient. I think she charged me about $13. for an office visit.
If you do not, however, already have a doctor, good luck getting one if you are not insured.

Wish I had your doctor - I've been going to the same one since 1983 - I'm unemployed and un-insured now - he won't reduce his 130 fee for an office visit (5 minutes) .... and I probably will not be going back to him any time soon (even when I finally get a job w/health ins.)

[veuvegirl]

Originally Posted by CTGirlNoMore

It seems I missed something with the OP.

A woman I know has insurance, but really horrible insurance and has to pay a LOT out of pocket. One place she winds up paying a lot at will take off a good chunk of monmey if she pays in cash, or pays in full at that time instead of making payments.

This is where most employers are going, a high deductible insurance. This makes people manage their care better.

[ceg0720]

Originally Posted by veuvegirl

This is where most employers are going, a high deductible insurance. This makes people manage their care better.

It actually makes people stop going to the doctor ... that's what happened to me - if I had a high deductible 15 years ago I wouldn't have had any mri's which found I had spinal stenosis, or the tests that showed I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol .... I've been on meds ever since .... but now that I really need to go to a doctor I can't - no insurance, no money.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by ceg0720

It actually makes people stop going to the doctor ... that's what happened to me - if I had a high deductible 15 years ago I wouldn't have had any mri's which found I had spinal stenosis, or the tests that showed I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol .... I've been on meds ever since .... but now that I really need to go to a doctor I can't - no insurance, no money.

You are absolutely right. I have seen this when I paid health insurance claims. And people died. I'm not kidding. They delay going to the doctor for too long and by the time they were carried into the ER it was too late.

People with chronic conditions, elderly people and those who had to take various prescriptions would only take one when they were supposed to take two or skip to every other day in order to conserve them.

High deductibles are almost as bad as having no insurance for those who truly need it.

[didi768]

Originally Posted by ceg0720

It actually makes people stop going to the doctor ... that's what happened to me - if I had a high deductible 15 years ago I wouldn't have had any mri's which found I had spinal stenosis, or the tests that showed I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol .... I've been on meds ever since .... but now that I really need to go to a doctor I can't - no insurance, no money.

High deductible's scare me. Many have a 10,000 hosp. deductible. If they suffer a heart attack and are hospitalized for a day, you owe 10,000. How can anyone pay that? Our children's hospital here in Tampa FL comes to your room immediately now and wants your co-pay. Who can hand over 10,000??

Our HI kicks in Aug. 1st. with new job. Hosp. ded. is only 500.00 per person but the premiums are 500.00 monthly for just the two of us. Just a radiology test alone will be 300.00 and I need a ton of tests ugh.

I think I have strep now and have MRSA in left ear in addition to ashma and gerd. I'm a mess. Aug. 1st. is a long ways away. However my old primary doc charges 65.00 for self pay if I get desperate and the Publix supermarket gives out free antibiotics, so that is a blessing!

[ceg0720]

Originally Posted by didi768

Our HI kicks in Aug. 1st. with new job. Hosp. ded. is only 500.00 per person but the premiums are 500.00 monthly for just the two of us.

Wow - only 500? I got a quote of 741 high deductible just for me from my last employer (since I was laid off and vested and almost 64 - they offered a retirement health ins. ) - I didn't laugh or cry - just said thanks but no thanks - still unemployed ....