Speaking of paying attention to things, tell me who the insurance companies negotiate the price with and who sets those prices?
If anything, the insurance companies are trying to bring down the costs of healthcare, and yes for their own self interest but it also lowers the shared cost incurred by the patient.
I've yet to hear of any incidences where an insurance company negotiated for higher costs, have you?
"Sorry bro, insurance companies do not set the prices of our healthcare, they just provide a service to cover all or part of the cost of it.
And this is exactly why Obamacare will not bring down the cost of healthcare insurance."
So which is it? do they set the price or not? Now in actuality, it is a negotiation but last I heard, the results of negoatiotions were set prices. Insurance companies do try to bring down the cost TO THEMSELVES, if it brings down the cost to the consumer, great, but I assure you, you will not get the insurance company's negotiated price if you are not a member of that insurance plan. you MIGHT, if you are tough enough, get your price down some. What it does is lower THEIR cost.
As an example.
I had some blood work done some time ago - the book rate for that work was $600. I paid 20 percent of $300 dollars, which was the negotiated rate.
HOWEVER. The next time I needed that work done I was out of network. I simply shopped around and found I could get the exact same work for $45 bucks if I was willilng to bring the results to my doctor myself.
So what is that insurance company really doing? they are paying prices that are simply LESS over inflated.
Or how about this Beenthere? I have a $15 dollar copay for tier one drugs. I pay $15 to my pharmacy for my statins (well, not any more thank God). I asked how much the pills were if i were not insured - generic statins would have cost me $11 for 30 pills.
My wife's generic alprazolam? $15, actual retail from the same pharmacy? $9.