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sander2s

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    • This may not be the best analogy, but when there is something wrong with my car, I seek out information to find the best place to take it. If I am not comfortable with their opinion and advice, I take it somewhere else for a second opinion. Those who establish a good track record of high-quality service and reasonable cost become well known to the public. I sometimes decide to pay more because I am betting I will get a better outcome. In no way am I equating health decisions to car decisions. But today, I don't feel like I have information or transparency to make a good, educated decision when it comes to healthcare. With insurance, I have no idea what the cost is going to be until the insurance company processes the claim and the provider bills me for my share (typically 100% because of the deductible). This has gotten slightly better recently, but still very difficult to make informed decisions.

      Post: Why US Healthcare is so Expensive.

      Link to comment from December 17, 2024

    • To me, that's exactly what insurance should be there for. To provide financial protection for the best care possible for those low probability, high consequence illnesses / injuries. And there needs to be more trust in allowing the patient and provider to determine what the best treatment plan is. But for "normal" medical services, it would be better if consumers made value judgments based on transparency of cost, quality, timeliness, etc. If I need to get an MRI, it would be better if I could easily understand my options / cost and pay for the service when I receive it (just like any other service I purchase). Having insurance involved doesn't add value, especially since I am paying for it out of my pocket anyways because of my deductible. Today, it is VERY difficult to shop around for the best MRI provider (based on cost, quality, timeliness, etc.). I understand that my MRI example may be related to a broader medical diagnosis (e.g., what if the MRI shows cancer or some other issue). Again, this is where insurance provides value to provide financial protection against the costs of treating whatever bigger issue may be identified.

      Post: Why US Healthcare is so Expensive.

      Link to comment from December 17, 2024

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