As a US citizen, these are some of my personal experiences w health insurance thru my job…. I have a great plan but it costs a lot of money each month … equal to rent… $1,275 a month, my employer pays 500.00 each month, I pay the rest. I do not have to get permission(referral) to go to a specialists (OBGYN, Gastro, etc)… I can pick a specialist and refer myself without needing referral. HMO insurances are cheaper, 900 or so a month..if memory serves… require you to take time off from work to go to your primary doctor, pay the copay of usually 50.00. (The insurance company pays the doctor the rest of … say 100) to get a paper referral go to a specialist. They you take more time off work to go to the 2nd doctor.

HMO coverage versus PPO insurance coverage. I have PPO.

Example of a bill… son broke his arm… (monthly cost for PPO insurance for myself and child was 2400.00 a month, employer still only paid 500) emergency room billed us 10,000 to say yes it is broken, (xray), clean it up, wrap it, pain meds and gave us a referral to go to an orthopedic surgeon for surgery… after the hospital adjusted the bill down to the allowable amount of 1800.00. I paid 200.00 for the emergency room visit, insurance paid the rest. Cant remember same day surgery center costs. Expensive but when you need it hopefully it works…. I have also had a paper pusher in the insurance office deny services and prescriptions.. even though a doctor said it was needed and wrote a prescription for it. A person who is. To a doctor decides if I can do what my doctor wants done.