45 percent of the remaining uninsured – the single largest group of people who technically can afford health insurance – agree. Coverage does not equal access to health care. The Wall Street Journal writes:
Health-law holdouts are diverse in their income, their health and where they live, surveys show. One commonality: They have often considered insurance and concluded they are still better off using doctors, hospitals and labs who take cash, negotiate prices or write off bills. In some cases, they look to charity clinics, overseas travel and prescription-drug-giveaway programs.
Of course, having health insurance is important. It prevents financial ruin in the event of an unforeseen medical catastrophe. But health insurance has become more costly over the years because of intrusive government regulations on insurance companies, and because health plans include comprehensive benefits that could be paid for out of pocket, such as most primary care services.
The 45 percenters are certainly onto something. I bet you they would be much more satisfied if there were true “wraparound” plans available on the market that exclude primary care benefits, since these plans would be much more reasonably priced. Combine this plan with paying a monthly fee as low as $35-50 for unlimited primary care services, and there you have it: satisfied direct primary care patients and a slower rise in health care costs.
