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Showing posts with label Copayment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Copayment. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Consumers Beware: Not All Health Plans Cover A Doctor's Visit Before The Deductible Is Met

Will these types of medical plans encourage a medical deductible for workers' compensation coverage? Today's post was shared by Kaiser Health News and comes from www.kaiserhealthnews.org

If you buy one of the less expensive insurance plans sold through the health law’s marketplaces, you may be in for a surprise. Some plans will not pay for a doctor visit before you meet your annual deductible, which could be thousands of dollars.
"This could be the next shoe to drop, as people don't realize that if they're buying a bronze plan, they may have to pay $5,000 out of pocket before it contributes a penny," said Carl McDonald, senior analyst with Citi Investment Research, speaking at a Washington, D.C., conference last month.
Experts worry that some enrollees will be discouraged from seeing doctors if they have to pay the full charge, rather than simply a copayment.
Those who’ve bought their own insurance have always had to pay a set annual sum, called a deductible, before policies begin paying their claims.  But first-time insurance buyers may not realize they’re on the hook for additional costs before benefits kick in, and may choose a plan based solely on the monthly premiums.
Bronze and silver plans -- which have lower monthly costs but typically, higher deductibles -- are the most likely to require consumers to spend that amount themselves before the insurer pays any claims. There is no nationwide data on how many do that. But in seven major cities, half of bronze plans on average require policyholders meet the deductible before insurers help with the cost of a doctor visit, according to an analysis by...
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