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Course: The Brookings Institution > Unit 1
Lesson 1: Introduction to health care in the U.S.- Introduction to the U.S. health care system
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- The U.S. uninsured population
- Paying for medicines: copays and deductibles
- Paying for medicines: tiering and formularies
- Understanding your medical bill
- Health care costs
- Private health insurance
- Health care for the chronically ill
- Health care exercise
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Paying for medicines: copays and deductibles
How do copays and deductibles work? Why is paying for medicine so complicated? In the first of two videos on paying for medicines, an overview of over the counter and prescription drugs is provided. Created by Brookings Institution.
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- From2:15-2:45, when the speaker is describing the number of prescriptions per year that folks of various ages use, is he including refills of the same medication as separate prescriptions or is he only counting prescriptions that are for a totally different medication? For example, many pharmacies will only dispense a certain supply of medication (like a 1, 3, 6 or 12 month supply). How many prescriptions would the speaker say a person is using per year if he takes only one medication for his high blood pressure, but has to visit the pharmacy 4 times per year to obtain additional supplies of the medication?(5 votes)
- The number he mentioned does appear to include refills, based on a similar number I found from another source that specifically mentioned including refills.
Source: http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st245/stat245.pdf(4 votes)
- The insurance company is going to "help the patience make better decisions about their medications"
My question is---better decisions for whom?(3 votes)- Always follow the money to find the true motivation of anything.(4 votes)
- Are co-pays and deductibles separate plans or are they together? Does a deductible of $400 mean that after the patient has paid $400 out-of-pocket, the insurance will cover everything or the patient will only have to pay the co-pay?(2 votes)
- Generally, co-pays and deductibles cover different services, and the co-pay does not count towards the deductible. However, to my knowledge, this isn't always the case.(2 votes)
- What is the account most cost in hospital budget ,how can you outline way to keep this cost under control?(1 vote)
- a) How we can say we will go with Genric medicine instead of Branded one? Normally we goto doctor and they prescribe the medicine. We goto medical shop and get medicine.
We are not saying Genric or Brand as we dont care. But what doctor wrote they are going to give medicine. So where the option will be given to choose genric medicine?
b) How we know the doctor fee or medicine will come under CoPay or Deductible?
c) Even after paying lot of premium per month why still copay and Deductible? Premium itself too high even after that why Copay and other cost?
d) Why Dental treatment comes with Cap? As per my understanding Dental treatment only $1500 covered per year for a family. You know one dental treatment like root canal will be nearly $2000 cost. So why insurance is limiting to $1500 that also for the whole family?
d) will Co-Pay money what we pay will be consider in Deductible spend?(1 vote)