Someone posted a ludicrous story here on FR a few months ago. They needed some kind of non-emergency surgical procedure. Between the deductible and his 20% copay it was going to cost him more than $20,000 out of pocket.
He thought about it for a while, then decided to deal directly with the medical facility where the surgery would be done. They did the surgery for less than $8,000, if I remember correctly. Just think about that one and ask yourself if this even makes sense anymore.
Funny. I have a small, chronic ailment which requires regular visits to a doctor for very basic blood/urine analysis or possibly X-ray. Its a doctor's group practice. I approached the administrator about simply paying CASH to them every time for this routine, 15 minute consultation and tests which are done on site. She looked at me like I was insane, and when I pressed, had no clue about how one might even approach it. I'm trying to work around this person now.
After many decades, this is what our crony, statist, corrupt, debt-fed medical system has created. Such bureaucrats, even in supposedly "private" practice, will be all ready to slip into a Marxist, single-payer system, without a peep.