On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:11:29 GMT, "Chi Chi"
wrote:

it's been my own experience that I'm using. In reading the link you provided
I noticed it said what insurance companies end up paying, that's because
they negotiate and usually will only pay what is reasonable and customary so
in the end You end up being charged the difference from what the bill is and
what the insurance company actually pays.

I think you might be confused. The providers have their "list prices"
and in order to be in a network they will agree to discounts to those
prices to make sure they have large groups in their client base. If
you are not covered by one of the groups offered the discounts, you
are billed "list". Now some cannot pay it and often do not pay it at
the peril of their credit status, however, the providers do not offer
them lower prices, and certainly not lower than the discounted prices
offered to the groups.

My experience is one who managed a large, self insured operation
covered by the network discounts negotiated with the providers by a
TPA. If one or our covered employee's went "out of network", they
were billed at "list" by that provider and were responsible for the
difference. Exceptions being the abscence of an in network provider
for that service.

The suggestion of a high deductible/low premium policy and an HSA, is
I think, a better alternative to going bare. Even if you cannot fund
the HSA significantly, you do have catastrophic protection.

But then, I've never cruised extensively, so maybe bare works.

Frank



"chuck" wrote in message
...
Chi Chi wrote:
Medical bills are often cheaper if You don't have insurance.

Can you substantiate this assertion with data or is your conviction based
solely on a priori analysis?

Take a look at this, for example.

They usually
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1362808.shtml
Hospitals: Is the Price Right?, A Look At Hospital Pricing For The
Uninsured - CBS News



jack up the bill if You have insurance because they know the insurance
companies will negotiate a reduced amount. I say screw the capitalists
and go it bare cause chances are the insurance company will try to wiggle
out of paying for a claim no matter how high your premiums are. To me
insurance is a big ripoff brought about by greedy capitalists and there
high priced over paid lawyers. so stick them with the bill by going b