Let’s say the family type, and a checkup for any of the more mundane things above.
Well, that’s the problem, due to changes passed with the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), annual routine screenings are free including women wellness. A lot of people do not know this.
The problem is when they find something wrong. Going to a specialist can easily push from hundreds to thousands.
To add on: it has to be coded correctly for insurance. A “yearly physical” is its own special thing which does not require a copay, and if coded correctly covers like a basic metabolic panel, lipid panel, maybe something less common if family history suggests it. It has to be billed as a “preventative service” for something on this list of what falls under the “free” stuff, if you don’t want a nasty bill. I know a full lab workup for me is billed at around $1600 before insurance, and a primary care visit would be around $300.
Interesting, it’s no wonder that so many Americans have a difficult time with medical bills. I was also under the impression that the Affordable Care Act had been dismantled, it’s a bit tough to catch all of the headlines with so much going on all the time.
Affordable Care Act is mostly still there, but
- the tax penalty for choosing no coverage was struck down in court, so more people are making this choice
- several states refused federal money to cover lower income
- republicans re-opened the door to junk policies that don’t provide meaningful coverage
Also the current administration is trying to
- replace support for state Medicaid programs with block grants that can be used to squeeze the state’s, who will reduce coverage
- repeal important features of ACA, like no refusal of treatment for pre-existing conditions, 100% coverage of routine care including immunizations
A lot of people think that it was gutted, but it’s actually the reason we have a health insurance marketplace and why you can no longer get denied for preexisting conditions. Before it existed, you were just SOL.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_Care_Act
Not that it’s cheap, but my employer charges about the same rate for a high deductible plan. If you are low income, you can get cheaper plans.
Healthcare in America isn’t that BAD if you are relatively healthy, but it is nearly impossible to navigate… by design. Now, if you are actually sick, YMMV.
Typically, out of pocket no insurance cost for primary care physician visit is around $200-300.
If you know the doctor, maybe $100 if he or she does a sliding scale.
That’s encouraging, at least. It’s not cheap per se, but definitely not as exorbitant as I assumed.
For most lower income Americans that can be cost prohibitive.
There are some lower cost options:
CVS and some other retailers have mini clinics where you see a nurse practitioner. Out of pocket these visits can be $50-100 out of pocket.
Some hospitals and health departments offer free clinics but they are often busy.
Online options have become more popular but they often are limited to very simple issues (e.g. sinus infections, allergies, etc).
This assumes you don’t need a prescription or labs.
From a prescription standpoint, Walmart still offers $4 prescriptions for very common drugs. Again out of pocket.
Labs your sort of SOL.
That is exorbitant for most people for a basic doctor’s visit. Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr. Takes an entire work week for a minimum wage worker to afford a doctor’s visit.
As other’s have explained to you, that is just a visit. It covers nothing else. No medication, no tests, no referrals. Just to talk to the Nurse Practitioner for 15 minutes. You will not be talking to the doctor.
