Insurance companies negotiate with hospitals and doctors the price of every treatment, procedure and medical service. That price differs from hospital to hospital even health plan to health plan. <\/p>\n
As Americans begin shopping again for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act on Saturday, they'll be wrestling with premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket costs and other vague and confusing insurance-speak. <\/p>\n
Believe it or not, that's the easy part compared to figuring out what health care actually costs. <\/p>\n
Sal Morales found an Obamacare health plan this year that costs him $145 per month versus the $560 he'd been paying. Courtesy of The Miami Herald hide caption <\/p>\n
Sal Morales found an Obamacare health plan this year that costs him $145 per month versus the $560 he'd been paying. <\/p>\n
Sal Morales of Miami bought insurance in March during the ACA's first enrollment period on the HealthCare.gov website. <\/p>\n
It felt amazing, he says, to get that insurance card in the mail \"like if I got an American Express Platinum card. That's how I felt.\" <\/p>\n
Morales was unemployed at the time. Money was tight and he knew he needed regular doctor visits to manage his high blood pressure. He diligently researched what he would get for his money before settling on a health insurance plan. <\/p>\n
Instead of paying $560 a month for COBRA coverage, Morales discovered he could get an Obamacare plan for $145 per month. <\/p>\n
\"I have a network deductible of $500,\" Morales says. \"My first three visits to a primary care physician they're zero dollars. Then it's $5 out of my pocket.\" <\/p>\n
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They Paid How Much? How Negotiated Deals Hide Health Care's Cost<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Insurance companies negotiate with hospitals and doctors the price of every treatment, procedure and medical service. That price differs from hospital to hospital even health plan to health plan. As Americans begin shopping again for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act on Saturday, they'll be wrestling with premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket costs and other vague and confusing insurance-speak. Continue reading