Has anyone paid out of pocket for medical care that was actually cheaper without insurance?

[tenderfoot]

I don't have optometry insurance and needed new glasses. My eyes are such that I need a regular pair and a pair when I'm using my computer. The total price was a shocker but when I added up what would have deducted from my paycheck for a year and the total cost I paid, I wound up saving $600.

Has anyone had this happen?

[dchill]

1. My experience is that they will bill whomever they can...

...for as much as they can. Sometimes, if you are self-pay, they cut you a break by not doing everything they could.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Oh, yeah

My metformen is generic and can be found for less than half the VA copay.

Glasses, especially, can be found dirt cheap online.

[Native]

3. Vision (like dental) is different from health insurance.

Most times it's cheaper to forego insurance for dental or vision. That said, if you need a lot of dental work, you can save a bit by having dental insurance. The policies have a lot of limitations though, and not all policies are accepted by all dentists, so there's that too.

[FBaggins]

4. Yes - a bunch of times

Answering in the context of a specific medical service - this can be particularly likely if you have a substantial annual deductible that you don't think you'll hit by year-end.

Note that optometry is very often a separate policy from health insurance. It's not at all uncommon for the premiums for that policy to exceed what you actually get out of the coverage.

Indeed, this should be the norm for most insurance (medical/auto/etc.). Insurance companies wouldn't stay in business if the average person received more in payouts than what they paid in premiums. But insurance isn't really there to reduce costs for everyday services. It's there to protect against the big expenses that are unexpected.

[MenloParque]

5. Yes. On a flight I broke my reading/driving prescription glasses

I went to target to get an eye exam for $40, then got my prescription filled at glasses.com. New glasses mailed to my hotel on vacation in 2 days. Paid less than $200 for the frames, lenses, and eye exam. Going through my insurance would have been more expensive in this situation for me.

[2naSalit]

6. Yup.

Both dental and vision ever since forever.

[zipplewrath]

7. Dentist

Most dental insurance is break even at best. If all you get is cleanings, you can probably do as well or better just paying cash. Even with fillings and crowns, you can probably negotiate a deal with your dentist.

[zipplewrath]

8. Dentist

Most dental insurance is break even at best. If all you get is cleanings, you can probably do as well or better just paying cash. Even with fillings and crowns, you can probably negotiate a deal with your dentist. Suggest that you'll pay what the insurance companies pay, but up front and in cash.

Also, some pharmaceutical supplies might be found cheaper than going through the insurance companies. This is often true for generics or supplies like strips and needles and such.

[vsrazdem]

9. Several of my medications are cheaper with the discounted Good RX card

than my medicare drug plan.

[NCDem47]

10. Pay out-of-pocket for dental and vision.

I care more about quality than cost. Its been my experience that dental and vision plans send you to questionable "professionals." I'd rather have more choice in who provides my care.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

11. 10 years ago, my primary care physician

would charge a cash price of $40 for an office visit. He told me that is what he would end up with anyway, had he billed the insurance company whatever price and taking what they paid him and subtracting the labor cost of billing them. Plus with a cash payment he got the money immediately. So I just paid the $40, and my prescriptions are generic so I just paid for those in cash. In my case it was far cheaper to do it this way than to go through the expense and hassle of insurance.

[OhZone]

12. Vision is really weird -

There are like two parallel dimensions or two parallel monopolies.

1 - the expensive one where everything is way overpriced, like the LensCrafters in the mall. They have snowed so many people with Vision plans, IMHO. They are from the expensive monopoly, Luxottica. I mean, I love their frames but they are crazy expensive, but they also supply some high end stores.


2 - the cheapo glasses. Online and in some stores like America's Best. 69.95 for 2 pairs and a free exam

[inthewind21]

13. Yep

With all three. Dental, Vision AND Medical. I had back surgery, my cost 18K, billed to insurance, 71K (my annual ins. premium, just over 9K My sister had uterine cancer, no insurance, she paid 20K for her surgery. I had the same surgery for the same reason, I had insurance, my insurance paid 45K for the same surgery. And THAT is why insurance is so effing high.

[MineralMan]

14. Sure. That's possible in some cases, if you don't have anything serious

wrong with you. America's Best will give you a free eye exam and two pairs of glasses for $69.95. The frames aren't that cool, but if you kick it up to $99, they're not bad and you still get the free eye exam. I got my driving glasses from them, and they're fine. I wear over the counter readers for reading, though.

However, all it takes is a broken arm or leg or a bout of appendicitis to make going without health insurance a huge mistake. Or get a bad case of the flu and end up in the hospital

When you're young, you can get away without insurance if you're lucky, but that can go wrong in an instant. It's amazing how fast you can run up a $100K hospital bill. Shockingly fast.

So, you can take your chances and hope you're lucky. Drive carefully, though, and look both ways before crossing. Stay away from sick people, if you can tell who they are.

[hunter]

15. As my brother once put it...

...I remember you could drive into Mexico and back without bending over for the anal probe.

The border crossing ain't fun any more.

And then came covid.

The last time I drove into Mexico the pharmacies, opticians, and medical clinics catering to U.S. citizens were thriving.

[Tree Lady]

16. I don't have eye glass insurance

Eye doctor yes part of health care. I get tested at costco and buy my glasses there. At least once a year they have sale on more than one and every 3 years I buy 3, regular, computer and sunglasses.

[Patterson]

17. Get your glasses at zenni.com. Mine cost $16 and that includes shipping.

[tenderfoot]

18. How are they with bifocals?

This is why I'm wary of online optometry.