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To: Ilaine who wrote (99488)	5/3/2001 10:08:00 PM
From: benwood	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

I've heard how expensive, from my wife, the pharmacist ;-) Actually I've been in favor of higher copays and deductibles for years, provided that more people get covered. My wife & I can afford the extra $$$. What bugs me is that if you pay cash, you pay much more because the plans have lower contract rates. That just isn't right to me... There should be a plan that costs almost nothing, but gets you the contract rates and have a infinite deductible. From studying my own bills, I'd estimate that would knock about 30% right off the top. Or better yet, pay a small monthly sum and get a $5000 deductible but also get the contractually lowered charge rates.

To: Ilaine who wrote (99488)	5/3/2001 11:04:42 PM
From: Don Lloyd	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 436258

CB and Ben - With respect to prescription prices, you may be quite surprised at how expensive new drugs are. One of the drugs I take is $500 a month, one $300. I am happy to pay the $7 copay. The healthy subsidize the ill, especially the chronically ill. But you never know when your time will come.-ng- The question is why the price is $500. From what you two are saying, the $500 is not likely the real primary price, but just an artificial starting point for discount negotiations with the primary contract purchasing agents. It may even be that contracts are effectively surreptitiously written around total annual product purchased. Both the pill supplier and the contract purchasing agent benefit from bogus high prices and bogus high discounts. Your $7 copay is analogous to the fixed price that California residents pay for electricity. You simply have no incentive to economize or make any cost/benefit decision. In the end, you still pay, but indirectly, and partially on a statistical basis. And products you may want may never be available. It is hard to imagine how the health care system could be less of price-signaled free market. Regards, Don

To: Ilaine who wrote (99488)	5/3/2001 11:34:41 PM
From: LLCF	Respond to of 436258

<The healthy subsidize the ill, especially the chronically ill. But you never know when your time will come.-ng- > That's why opting for self insurance or catastorphic only is the way to go for the young and healthy. I havent' had insurance since starting in the investment business out of college... have saved hundreds of thousands <ng> <But you never know when your time will come.-ng- > Actually there's great data on when your 'time will come' as you know... with my lifestyle and family history it'll still be quite some time before health insurance makes any sense for me or my family. <ng> I'm certainly hoping we don't end up with a nationalized plan as people like me end up subsidizing your typical overweight American with ton's of health problems... but don't worry, we've got the best system in he world to make up for it! DAK