How long ago was it, when it possible to go into a doctor's office and ask.....

[YewNork]

"How much does the doctor charge for an office visit?" and the person who answered didn't need to know whether you had insurance or what type of insurance you had?

[slackmaster]

1. About 40 years IIRC

A long, long time.

[Why Syzygy]

2. My guess .

sometime before Nixon screwed us with the HMO boondoggle.

(See "Sicko" for details.)

[stray cat]

3. Some doctors don't take insurance and prepare for $100 or more for the office visit

Prices have increased and you may not want to pay for the update to the good old day. The good news is you can still ask and pay out of pocket!

[Coyote_Bandit]

4. Most states have laws

that require that everyone be charged the same for substantially identical medical services. Unfortunately the slimy political bastards are unwilling to enforce those laws. A couple of years ago the Wall Street Journal did a series of front page articles documenting this very thing. An uncomplicated appendectomy should cst the same regardless of what kind of health insurance a patient does or does not carry.

[customerserviceguy]

5. The entire industry is full of that kind of thing

A year ago, I was working for a seller of endoscopy instruments and their associated supplies and accessories. We had a whole department dedicated to producing quotations for the costs of our equipment, it would depend on who the customer was, and what "contract" they had elected to put themselves under.

It was a bureaucratic mess, even for our salespeople in the field. And I'm sure that it required a bureaucracy to be set up on the customer end, to make sure they were getting charged the right prices for things.

[get the red out]

6. In the small town where I was born

It lasted until about 20 years ago, at least with my Mom's Dr, who she went to high school with, who is retired now.

[Why Syzygy]

7. I have almost always had

PPO coverage through an employer. I had an appendectomy in '82 and IIRC, there were no out of pocket expenses. Ditto on c-section delivery in '78. I don't remember paying off any hospital bills, but may have paid a small amount. Of course any future private insurance will disallow future c-sections (which certainly is not an issue now). That was the case when my ex and I were self employed. Exclusions.

I think the people who get in trouble must have expenses beyond the yearly cap.

[Louisiana1976]

8. My primary physician is at a clinic where I have to pay a co-pay of $20.