PROVIDE A RESPONSE OR STATEMENT TO THIS STUDENTS DISCUSSION:
1. Please discuss the impact of deductibles and co-payments on patients’ health-seeking behavior.
A deductible is a set amount that is paid up front by the patient before insurance will start covering expenses. Once the patient has incurred enough medical expenses for that year and has surpassed their deductible they can then seek medical attention and their health insurance will pay the bill. A co-payment is an expense that the patient pays out of pocket each time they see their provider, fill a prescription, or undergo other procedures. Both of these expenses are incurred by the patient and will impact how they pursue medical treatment. Higher deductible levels and co-pays often encourage patients to avoid seeking medical attention to prevent out of pocket expenses. Furthermore, co-pays often vary based on where the patient is being seen which encourages routine preventative care rather than emergent care. The ever-increasing cost of healthcare in general prohibits some patients from even being able to afford carrying health insurance because they cannot afford the monthly premiums.
2. If you were a consumer how would you decide which insurance to choose with reference to co-payments?
Is the cheapest insurance always the best? As a consumer, I wouldn’t just choose the cheapest insurance. It’s often the cheapest because it covers the least amount of procedures, has higher co-pays, or higher deductibles. Instead I would seek out insurance that would cover the widest range of procedures, allow the most flexibility with regard to choosing a hospital or provider, and balance out the cost of the monthly premiums versus the deductible level and number of co-pays.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH AMAZON PAPERS TODAY AND GET AN AMAZING DISCOUNT