High-deductible plans sound awful to people who’ve never had them but they can actually work out quite well, especially for young, healthy people, and even more especially for those whose employers contribute some or all of the deductible. Since I require very little care, my HSA now has more than enough to cover my deductible (which is admittedly much less than $5k) several years over.
They actually work quite well for a lot of people. I max out my deductible every year (Type 1 diabetic) and the high-deductible plan my employer offers works out cheaper for me than the traditional 90/10 plan.
Yes, that’s how things work. Never, ever, underestimate the predictability of human nature when it comes to making money.
As for the “shopping around” bit, that’s decided at the highest levels of management, so the workers just have to suck it up. And shopping around isn’t of much help when everyone decides to crank their premiums :rolleyes: