So the Healthcare Reform Bill was passed into law today. Now as Nancy Pelosi said we will finally figure out what was in it. But I wonder while everyone will now be insurable will it do anything to really lower the cost of healthcare. And do we as Americans really care?
I put myself in this camp. If I had a shoulder problem and the doctor suggested a $500+ MRI, I would make a different decision if I was footing the entire bill. But with insurance, it is a no brainer to pay the $25 copay to get the MRI.
It used to be I would pay my copay to the dentist, he would submit the claim to insurance and they would only pay their negotiated rate. Well the dentist got wise to that and now he requires I pay the entire bill upfront. He still submits the claim to insurance but now they send their negotiated rate check to me. So he gets what he asks for and I get stuck with the leftovers. All of the sudden I started making different choices for my dental care including asking how much the insurance company would cover for procedures beyond cleaning. If I feel insurance doesn’t cover enough, I will look at different options including other dentists.
We all want the sports car but only want to pay for the smart car.