High Deductible Sticker Shock

With a state board poised to approve health care plans for the working poor on Thursday, some are concerned that the high cost of deductibles could keep people away from the doctor's office.

Gov. Deval Patrick and private insurers proudly announced over the weekend that they had met their goal of developing low-cost insurance plans with premiums under $200 a month.

The goal came at a steep cost: deductibles for the proposed plans would run as high as $2,000, including prescription drugs, for an individual to $4,000 for families. That's the amount people would pay in out-of-pocket expenses before their insurance covers their bills for the rest of the year.

Low cost plans = less than $200/month = $2000 deductible.

High cost plans = $380 premium = low deductible & copays.

Today's lesson is in math. How many times can I see the doctor when I am saving $180 per month in premiums?