I agree with you whole heartedly Rocky, and I think that is the way the country is going. Congress has created the HSA and HRA accounts. My wife and I just went away from the Traditional Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan this year and went with an HRA. With these high deductible plans, people will be less likely to go to the doctor for a mere sniffle. With an insurance policy that covers almost everything, people are going to the doctor for the slightest reason whatsoever. Now, when they have to pay $80 out of pocket for that visit, they will think twice about it.
As long as the insurance company was going to pay the bill, you can bet that I didn't care what was on the bill or what it amounted to. Last year, we had to pay the deductible portion of our health plan out of our FSA and you can bet I was looking over those bills. I'll be looking over the bills very intently this year and you can bet I will not be going to the doctor unless I really have to, not that I did before anyway.
Kind of like the "Need a penny, take a penny" jar. Sometimes, people just abuse it. I have seen a guy take out 15 cents to round out his bill. Now, it doesn't say "need a dime and a nickel" does it. There will always be those that abuse things and ruin it for the rest of us.
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The pond, waterfowl, and yellow labs...it don't get any better.
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