“Or, people would just stop going to a doctor until the catastrophic insurance kicked in because they collapsed with cancer or some other untreated condition.
Be careful what you wish for.”
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I think it would make healthcare costs more competitive because people would be smarter consumers if they have to make such decisions themselves. Competition would drive prices down on lots of things. Right now - you have expensive Obamacare monthly costs - and sometimes up to a $6000 deductible - you can barely afford the COST of having to have insurance that covers every little thing and has to include existing conditions at the same cost to everybody.
That’s money you have to spend just to have the insurance to cover most of your healthcare costs. I submit that on non-catastrophic healthcare - it would cost you less to pay with HSA funds and out-of-pocket, than you’re paying just to have the coverage for it, with an insurance company being the middle man and government crony.
Try to tell them they'll have to give up the current pre-pay model and then pay $60 or $80 out of pocket, and they'll hang you.
It might work if the HSA was attached to a mandatory deduction and employer contribution like the existing insurance scheme (but hopefully, cheaper), something like AFLAC.
Otherwise, "pay more, get less" isn't going to fly. We also need to get rid of the enormous malpractice premiums healthcare workers pay-- it's simply insane.