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Obamacare to Cost Trillions Less than Originally Forecast

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chanson78

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My biggest issue with the ACA is that the last time I went in for a checkup, I offhandedly asked "Hey how much would this cost if I just paid out of pocket?"

The following may not be a direct result of the ACA, but it was never an issue before it came out.

The response was that even if they told me the cost, they would be unable to provide services if they know I have insurance and not run the visit through the insurance claims procedure. From this article it seems this is a result of contractual obligations. Would I be breaking the law to go to a doctor and tell them I am uninsured? IE for when I just need a doc in the box to give me a z-pac or maybe prescribe a steroid next time I get poison ivy.

Anyone have any details on this?
 
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mittman

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Jun 19, 2009
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chanson78 said:
Not trying to be snarky here, but how about finding a different doctor? Other comments on this thread show that not all doctors are behaving this way. Technically it is a free market, you are a consumer of a service he is providing. Now, if you are in a small area, with limited choices, this may not apply to you. However if you aren't, find another provider.
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That's kind of funny. Much of what we those of us who oppose ObamaCare are railing against is the fact that these options and what was left of the health care system actually being a free market is being taken away. In fact it was and still is constantly being drummed that health care as a free market is a myth. I can't tell you how many times I heard this line (so much that it must have been a distributed talking point) "No one goes shopping for a doctor in the middle of a heart attack." Of course they don't, and statements like it tend to intentionally obfuscate what could be a meaningful discussion about what may actually work.

It is getting increasingly difficult for me to believe that those involved in writing the ACA really wanted to have any semblance of a market based system, and just regulate an insurance industry and make it more widely available. They could have done that just as easily (probably more effectively) without the exchanges.
 
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chanson78

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mittman said:
That's kind of funny. Much of what we those of us who oppose ObamaCare are railing against is the fact that these options and what was left of the health care system actually being a free market is being taken away. In fact it was and still is constantly being drummed that health care as a free market is a myth. I can't tell you how many times I heard this line (so much that it must have been a distributed talking point) "No one goes shopping for a doctor in the middle of a heart attack." Of course they don't, and statements like it tend to intentionally obfuscate what could be a meaningful discussion about what may actually work.

It is getting increasingly difficult for me to believe that those involved in writing the ACA really wanted to have any semblance of a market based system, and just regulate an insurance industry and make it more widely available. They could have done that just as easily (probably more effectively) without the exchanges.
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I am a little confused. Forgive me if I get this wrong, but I read all of the above and interpreted it as you don't think that there exists an option to find another doctor? Or are you more talking about how the ACA doesn't allow this to happen?
 
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mittman

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chanson78 said:
My biggest issue with the ACA is that the last time I went in for a checkup, I offhandedly asked "Hey how much would this cost if I just paid out of pocket?"

The following may not be a direct result of the ACA, but it was never an issue before it came out.

The response was that even if they told me the cost, they would be unable to provide services if they know I have insurance and not run the visit through the insurance claims procedure. From this article it seems this is a result of contractual obligations. Would I be breaking the law to go to a doctor and tell them I am uninsured? IE for when I just need a doc in the box to give me a z-pac or maybe prescribe a steroid next time I get poison ivy.

Anyone have any details on this?
Click to expand...
I don't know if it would be breaking the law. I know doctors and clinics usually have agreements in place, but like you I would like to hear more about the consequences of providing a direct service along with staying in the insurance network. Doctors spend a great deal on staff to ensure they just get paid. While hard to deal with the insurance networks do make it easier to ensure they get something. It is a risk for them to leave the networks. On top of uncertain payment they risk getting cut off from patients. That said there are some systems and groups trying to break that mold. Here's a link to an article about one such group:

http://www.njbiz.com/article/201404...payasyougo-health-care-is-another-alternative
 
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mittman

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chanson78 said:
I am a little confused. Forgive me if I get this wrong, but I read all of the above and interpreted it as you don't think that there exists an option to find another doctor? Or are you more talking about how the ACA doesn't allow this to happen?
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In answer to your question, it certainly is not to the point where there is no option to find another doctor. There are still opportunities to go to a different one if the one you are seeing is not providing what you expect, or if you want a second opinion.

I don't blame ACA/ObamaCare for all of the hurdles to being able to have your choice of doctor. Again, the insurance industry was already causing problems with this, IMO the ACA just made it worse. I believe there is ample evidence that the exchanges have certainly caused less choice instead of more.
 
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92tide

92tide

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mittman said:
In answer to your question, it certainly is not to the point where there is no option to find another doctor. There are still opportunities to go to a different one if the one you are seeing is not providing what you expect, or if you want a second opinion.

I don't blame ACA/ObamaCare for all of the hurdles to being able to have your choice of doctor. Again, the insurance industry was already causing problems with this, IMO the ACA just made it worse. I believe there is ample evidence that the exchanges have certainly caused less choice instead of more.
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just anecdata; as a family with multiple pre-existing conditions in addition to being in a very small (5 employees) family business, we certainly have more choice than before.
 
92tide

92tide

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kaiser now offers phone appointments with your doctor in lieu of visits. no co-pay, etc. my wife and i both used this feature last month to get some meds to knock out a persistent chest cold.

that was always one of my biggest beefs is that i had to schedule an appointment for something like that before.
 
jthomas666

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92tide said:
kaiser now offers phone appointments with your doctor in lieu of visits. no co-pay, etc. my wife and i both used this feature last month to get some meds to knock out a persistent chest cold.

that was always one of my biggest beefs is that i had to schedule an appointment for something like that before.
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Yeah. I really like my GP, but, as with many docs, it's pretty much impossible to get a quick appt if you're sick. That's why the Invisible Hand gave us Docs in a Box. I usually get walking pneumonia a couple of times a year. I used to just hit AFC, but after a while my GP said to just give him a call. Some employers offers a doc/nurse phone consult service as well--they have it at my new job, but I haven't used it yet.

On the other end of the spectrum, I had to cough up a co-pay yesterday to visit my ortho JUST so I could get new Rxs for my pain meds.
 
Bama Reb

Bama Reb

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I like my doctor and his nurses. The staff is kind and considerate. The doctor himself is a nice guy who sits in the room with me while I explain all my medical issues and he does his best to take care of them. If he can't, he'll refer me to a specialist who can.
The problem I have is the wait. I can have an early morning appt, arrive in time and in most cases there won't be 6 other cars in the entire lot.. Yet, I have to wait, and wait, and wait. Oftentimes, I'm still in the waiting room 2 hours after my appointment time. Then the nurses will call for me and I'll go back so they can take my vitals, and then to the treatment room where I'll wait, and wait... again.
When I go to see him I have to take the whole day off because I can't count on being in and out of there within a minimum of 4 hours.
I hate to have to look for another doc, but geez...
 
CharminTide

CharminTide

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jthomas666 said:
Yeah. I really like my GP, but, as with many docs, it's pretty much impossible to get a quick appt if you're sick. That's why the Invisible Hand gave us Docs in a Box. I usually get walking pneumonia a couple of times a year. I used to just hit AFC, but after a while my GP said to just give him a call. Some employers offers a doc/nurse phone consult service as well--they have it at my new job, but I haven't used it yet.

On the other end of the spectrum, I had to cough up a co-pay yesterday to visit my ortho JUST so I could get new Rxs for my pain meds.
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MDLive and other similar services are great for simple things, especially when you're pretty sure you know what's happening. When my dog sat on my face and gave me pinkeye, I had a prescription in 10 minutes and about $30.
 
Bamabuzzard

Bamabuzzard

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NationalTitles16 said:
That means sick people were sent home to be treated instead of being admitted. That's not supposition. That's fact. But here's the thing about that figure: It doesn't flippin' matter. You can save money on end of life care by never admitting someone at the end of their life (if known). You can cut cost on ICU care by never admitting to ICU. You can greatly reduce trauma costs by simply not treating trauma patients.

But at what cost are you cutting costs? Without context the number is meaningless.
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Hey, hey, HEY!!!! JUST WAIT ONE COTTON PICKIN' MINUTE HERE!!! No system's perfect.
 
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Bubbaloo

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92tide said:
just my anecdote. we have long used kaiser and they have always made test results available to us online. also, when i went in for my annual physical this year, they had cut back many of the tests to every other year, or every three years. and my favorite, no more digital exam.
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What do you mean no more digital exams !! My friend ALWAYS asks for a second opinion ! Just to be sure that everything is going to be just fine.
 
danb

danb

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Bama Reb said:
I'm also not going to ask about what you tasted when you woke up. :p
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Haven't you ever woke up and was like.......blah....where's that damn cat/dog that (bleeped) in my mouth?.....(old running joke of ours after a night of drinking!!)

Charmin, that was the inadvertent post of the week in my book!!!! [emoji6]!!
 
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