Gee I thought the ACA Was Supposed to Help the Needy

[Smyrna]

@Nemesis

Insurance companies are actually working to drive down the cost. Take the recent innovations in provider reimbursement. I have been involved in a pilot that reimburses providers based on quality of care not the traditional fee for service.

Other areas of innovation is looking at the traditional delivery methods and disrupting these. Past few consultations i have had have been video chat with a $50 cost. Far more cost effective than an office visit. And yes I know video chat is not always suitable.

Educating customers to use urgent health care and retail clinics instead of the ER. We now provide details on Explanation of Benefits that gives alternatives to the treatment you had and provides a dollar amount you could have saved.

But I think we can both agree that providers have to be more transparent. Health Care is the only service we consume where we do not have access to costs up front. Can you imagine going to the supermarket where nothing is priced?

The biggest break through I found in reducing costs was a virtual visit. You use your phone and the doctor examines you, asks pertinent questions and diagnoses your condition right over the phone. They then call in a prescription and bam…it was a $35 dollar doctor’s visit plus the cost of your medicine.