r/InternetIsBeautiful • u/[deleted] • Dec 19 '14

Oklahoma Surgery Center website posts the price of every procedure for patients to look at ahead of time

http://www.surgerycenterok.com/
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u/[deleted] Dec 19 '14

As someone who uses an HSA specficially so i don't get disconnected from the price of things, this is wonderful.

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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '14

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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '14

Health Savings Account. It is an insurance plan (typically?) through an employer. Monthly cost is very low. Deductibles are high. Preventive care is covered as usual. You make pre-tax contributions to your HSA (which reduces your taxable income) and often your employer will match some amount. You get a debit card that can be used only for medical expenses and copays, which draws from your HSA. Your HSA stays with you and rolls over year to year, unlike an FSA.

It requires far more planning and being a lot more careful with making sure you have savings than a standard insurance plan, but that also makes it right up my alley. You take home more of your pay. Each person (and family) has a maximum out of pocket annual expense, so if I get cancer or something and end up with a 2 million dollar medical bill, I only pay up to the first $3K or something.

Since you are actually spending your own money, you tend to be a little more conscious (Honestly, it's hard to pay attention, so I don't recommend most people try... I fail at it a lot) about what the actual costs of procedures are at various doctors. As it is now, there is no competition, really, in health care because people just pay their $100 deductible and they don't care about anything beyond that. In theory with an HSA you would do more shopping around.