Quote Originally Posted by know1 View Post
But using it for your everyday prescriptions, check-ups and other minor things is not "financial risk". It's basically paying someone else to pay for your everyday needs.

If we went to a more catastrophic insurance model where people were not using it to pay for things every day, then it could be considered spreading financial risk.
Hold on there. For one thing, those "everyday prescriptions" are not a "minor thing" for a lot of people, certainly not for me. I take two medications for seizures, and a couple for blood pressure as well. And there are LOTS of people whose "everyday prescriptions" are keeping them alive, not something I would call a "minor thing."

Secondly, you're just not an actuary! It IS spreading financial risk, or it wouldn't work, and the insurance companies would go out of business.

As for paying for check-ups, I explained in another thread how insurance companies have found that, if they pay for check-ups, people will actually go out and get the check-ups more regularly, so illnesses are detected earlier, and in the long run, health care costs are reduced. If you think about it, it makes sense. A check-up is relatively inexpensive, compared to the extra cost of treating a serious disease that is detected late.