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What do you think would happen if we did away with health insurance as we currently know it? Would costs go down? How would the industry adjust? Any ideas on how to make it work without the insurance industry? Just curious as to people's thoughts on this and to see ideas on how to make things better.
Costs would fall dramatically. Dealing with insurance issues takes more than half of quite a few doctors' time and/or costs. ObamaCare will make this far worse.
That being said, I wouldn't want to not have insurance.
A better solution would be for doctors to not accept insurance but allow patients to work with their insurance companies themselves. While certainly not common, this is already not exactly rare.
What do you think would happen if we did away with health insurance as we currently know it? Would costs go down? How would the industry adjust? Any ideas on how to make it work without the insurance industry? Just curious as to people's thoughts on this and to see ideas on how to make things better.
Healthcare costs were significantly less pre-WWII before employers and insurance companies were involved.
I am not sure, because it isn't the kind of thing a child or teenager worries about, but I don't remember my parents ever having health insurance. I am positive my Grand Parents did not.
But then, in the 1940s and '50s, not many people had homeowner's insurance or car insurance, either. I didn't know what "life insurance" was until I was a senior in high school.
Back then, an overnight stay in a hospital room often cost less than a good hotel room. Of course, PRIVATE rooms were rare then!
One idea that I have seen in action, and one that I really like is where a doctor charges a modest monthly membership fee for patients in lieu of insurance. Cutting out insurance cuts down on overhead which makes the care more affordable. Patients pay a monthly fee and with that fee they can call, text, e-mail or visit their doctor when they need to. Patient's visits are covered by the monthly fee but if the doctor uses supplies, the patient pays for the supplies. For example, a patient needs stiches. The doctor charges the patient $3.00 for supplies, otherwise the visit is covered by the membership fee.
My family doctor operates under this model. It's very affordable at $30 per person for the first two members of our household and $10 per person for the rest. She does not have a staff, just someone to answer the phone. Her practice is small so appointments are never rushed. I am a fan. I know that this type of model could not be used for everything but I do think it's a good example of how we can change our "healthcare" model to work smarter and more efficiently for more people.
I also like afoigrokerkok's idea of allowing patients to do their own billing in the case of insurance to cut down on overhead.
One idea that I have seen in action, and one that I really like is where a doctor charges a modest monthly membership fee for patients in lieu of insurance. Cutting out insurance cuts down on overhead which makes the care more affordable. Patients pay a monthly fee and with that fee they can call, text, e-mail or visit their doctor when they need to. Patient's visits are covered by the monthly fee but if the doctor uses supplies, the patient pays for the supplies. For example, a patient needs stiches. The doctor charges the patient $3.00 for supplies, otherwise the visit is covered by the membership fee.
My family doctor operates under this model. It's very affordable at $30 per person for the first two members of our household and $10 per person for the rest. She does not have a staff, just someone to answer the phone. Her practice is small so appointments are never rushed. I am a fan. I know that this type of model could not be used for everything but I do think it's a good example of how we can change our "healthcare" model to work smarter and more efficiently for more people.
I also like afoigrokerkok's idea of allowing patients to do their own billing in the case of insurance to cut down on overhead.
So if you become involved in a auto accident, do you go to your doctor's office to be treated?
So if you become involved in a auto accident, do you go to your doctor's office to be treated?
If the injuries are minor, yes. Like I said, obviously this model would not work in all scenarios but it does shows how some doctors are getting away from insurance and thinking outside of the box. I'm sure there are a lot of other ways we could make healthcare work for people without insurance and that is the purpose of this thread. Figuring out how things would look without insurance.
Do you have any ideas that you would like to contribute, Chimeulojones?
One idea that I have seen in action, and one that I really like is where a doctor charges a modest monthly membership fee for patients in lieu of insurance. Cutting out insurance cuts down on overhead which makes the care more affordable. Patients pay a monthly fee and with that fee they can call, text, e-mail or visit their doctor when they need to. Patient's visits are covered by the monthly fee but if the doctor uses supplies, the patient pays for the supplies. For example, a patient needs stiches. The doctor charges the patient $3.00 for supplies, otherwise the visit is covered by the membership fee.
My family doctor operates under this model. It's very affordable at $30 per person for the first two members of our household and $10 per person for the rest. She does not have a staff, just someone to answer the phone. Her practice is small so appointments are never rushed. I am a fan. I know that this type of model could not be used for everything but I do think it's a good example of how we can change our "healthcare" model to work smarter and more efficiently for more people.
You have just described a small insurance pool run by your doctor. A small insurance pool with limited benefits and an in-network network of 1. It fixes boo-boos and doesn't address in-patient services or expensive care or operations. Will your doctor do an appendectomy in his office?
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