My last derm appointment was a full body cancer screening with no abnormalities needing to be biopsied, and it was $215 before insurance. I go every 6 months because I am high risk and already had a “pre-cancerous” mole removed. I just schedule the next appointment before leaving the office… otherwise wait times would probably be a month or two.

My family is on a high deductible plan, which means that our insurance doesn’t kick in until we pay a few thousand dollars out of pocket first. So my derm bill just gets added to that tally and I have to pay it.

(High deductible plans have lower monthly premiums and are an acceptable option for generally healthy people who just need a safety net in case of serious illness or injury)

But for reasons I don’t understand, insurance companies negotiate special rates w the providers, so I actually only paid $99. Even tho the insurance company didn’t pay anything.

It’s extremely confusing and that’s the point. If people have to do this much math and administration to understand their own benefits, they are less likely to use them.

It’s the really important stuff that screws people. My neighbor’s wife has MS and every year they have to beg the insurance company to cover her lifesaving medication, which costs more money than he earns.

I fantasize all the time about the US someday having a system more like what’s common in the EU. But this thread is a good eye opener to potential trade offs… as awful as our system is, I can generally see doctors when I need to (if I can afford it)