Off topic: 41 percent of US insured now have to pay the first 1000 dollars of medical charges
New York Times
“The proportion of insured workers with at least a $1,000 deductible was 41 percent in 2014, quadruple that in 2006”
A 2010 study found that when “…cost sharing for physician visits and prescription drugs goes up, so does overall Medicare spending.”
- “For every dolla r saved on doctor and drug spending, Medicare’s hospital spending increased by more than $6 .”
“The way cost sharing is being applied today is too blunt. Charging sicker patients the same as healthy ones for the drugs and preventive care they need ultimately costs more.
It’s not intuitive, but the studies show it’s true: Spending more on prevention — but only for the sickest patients — can save money down the road.”
-And, many workers do not have medical insurance or do not have sick leave – and thus have strong economic reasons to come to work in restaurants, nursing homes, stores, while sick/infectious.
Note: Routine appointments often just have copays (no deductibles).