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Originally Posted by rahl
The problem with that is that Insurance companies don't negotiate prices with employers. The premiums are what they are based on the risk level of the employees, which is determined by medical history, age, gender and type of work that is performed.
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You're missing the point. Whether or not there is a 'negotiation' they still need to evaluate each business (or group) individually and come up with different numbers based on that evaluation.
They may not do much negotiation with the little guys but if a giant corporation didn't like the rate that their current insurer was offering for the next year of coverage and threatened to leave they are going to reconsider.
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Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
Make doctors and hospitals PUBLISH rates, everyone pays the same rate. No "group discount" everyone is in the SAME group, everyone gets that discount.
This way I can shop around to see just how much all the ITEMS cost and make decisions based on actual costs as opposed to estimates and unknown items. Getting 4 bills for my operation was just stupid. Getting billed for an Xray for a normal visit because the insurance company decided that it's a different company so it's covered differently and I pay that out of my own pocket, I guess when I'm being wheeled on a gurney I need to ask what is and isn't covered by my insurance BEFORE they provide service.
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Shopping around works just fine when you are planning treatment or routine visits. In the event of an emergency you don't have time to shop around.
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Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
Finally, pay. I'm now on 80/20 instead of the $10 copay. I can tell you that it's more painful to pay for the 20% but I am much more thoughtful in going to the doctor or dentist. Much more thoughtful.
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It really isn't that simple. In exchange for 80/20 you might have lower premiums. You trade a lower monthly bill for more expensive treatment. Then you might even have deductibles, and all sorts of shit. When we had the HMO we had copays and no deductable. We switched to a PPO. We got much lower premiums but now we have deductibles and shit like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
Most employers I have been employed by have 2 or 3 different plans, basic, middle tier and most expensive tier. All with different companies.
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I've had two professional jobs. With the first one, there was one plan. Take it or leave it. My current employer has about four plans to choose from but they are all with Aetna.