Insurance companies negotiate lower prices because of volume and the assurance that the medical provider is going to get paid the agreed upon rate. Why should your doctor do that for an individual?
because as a cash customer the Dr only has to collect payment, with an insurance company he needs a small army of employees to deal with them and extract payment from them. I work with several dental clinics in my profession they LOVE cash, they give a price, collect payment, preform service, done deal.
With the insurance companies it can take hours of his staffs time to get paid for a service.
Isn’t that exactly what the article is complaint about? Health care insurance companies. If you like the lower negotiated rates and you like the service your recieve in return (the author does not) then stay with it.
The article ask if there is a better way.
Doctors I use routinely offer 40% discounts to patients who pay cash. Filing insurance claims is costly and time consuming. I just got a bill from a doctor, after the insurance payments were finally worked out, for services provided in June of 2015. Also, it’s far easier for insurance companies to raise premiums and lower benefit payouts, especially now, than it is to practice cost containment at the delivery end.