Something about this article really bothered me and I realized what it was when I went and read the entire post. I have $15 copays and I think that’s way too high.
Want to know why? Because I pay $900 a month for an HMO plan for myself and my husband (just the two of us, no kids). And we go to the doctor, at most, twice a year each. So when this author talks about what it really costs to go to the doctor, I can say that it costs me about $2,700 per visit. Paying that much already, I admit I have a hard time stomaching an additional $15 out of my pocket to boot!
However, I should add that I otherwise wholeheartedly agree with the article. I realize most people aren’t like me and don’t think about how much they’re actually paying for health care. Maybe it helps that my paystub shows me how much my employer is paying each month (and I’m smart enough to realize that it’s really my money they’re spending).
I’m sickened by the whole thing. I’d much rather just have catastrophic coverage for the big things that can go wrong and pay as I go for the routine stuff (I’m sure I’d come out ahead in the end), but unfortunately no employer I know of offers such an option.
I think a lot of people must not understand how co-pays work. They act as if that is all that is paid. The loser is perhaps the doctor who may not get reimbursed for the full balance. But co-pay plans are expensive and one generally shells out far more in premiums than the cost of the visits. Medications should be reasonably priced, doctor visits should be affordable to pay the doctor directly, and insurance should be reserved for major medical or long term care IMHO.