| > “Patients go to providers for care. Providers provide that care. Patients get a bill and if they can afford it, they pay that bill.” Well. I have good news for you, that’s how my policy on the NYS of Health works. AKA. Obama Care Visit https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/individual/
Find, "Compare Plans & Estimate Costs". You can get insurance plan cost estimates, including Obama Care Tax Credits. Just enter a zip code in NY, and "hypothetical" family size and income and away you go. I don't hold it against you for not knowing (hehe). You're not alone. Short story--I had a bout of bursitis. My Bronze level health plan lets me make an appointment directly with a Orthopedic/Sports Med doctor. I live on Long Island NY and rent in the affluent North Shore. I collected a list of doctors, increasingly further from my home, and start calling nearby offices. My first question, What does it cost to see the doctor? OFFICE: I can't answer that question, because I don't know what the doctor might order. ME: Lets hypothetically assume whatever the doctor orders, I will not be taking that service. Now how much to just walk in the door and see the doctor? They just won't accept the premise; This goes back and forth for a minute too long. OFFICE: I thought you said you have have insurance? Yes. I have an Obama Care plan from NY State. Maybe you don't realize how many of these plans work, I explain. I have ~8k/y deductible. In other words, I have to spend 8k on health care before insurance co-pays kick in. Otherwise, I pay the full amount of the agreed service's price--the price agreed by doctors and insurance in my health plan's network. OFFICE: How did you get our number? ME: From my insurance's list of in-network providers. OFFICE: <click> Did you catch that? They're in-network, but don't know how the insurance their office accepts actually works for patients. I had similar situations as I moved through the list. Ultimately it was a large network provider that accepted the premise and gave me the "see the doctor cost". It was actually very reasonable. [EDIT: clarity on health plan details] |