300 sats \ 0 replies \ @nerd2ninja 24 May 2022 \ on: CrowdHealth - Community and Bitcoin Powered Alternative to Health Insurance bitcoin
Pros and cons compiled from reading the member guide:
Pros:
Access to information. If you have the ability to shop around, CrowdHealth will provide a centralized location and recommend best priced solutions
CrowdHealth has an incentive to make sure you get the best price. CrowdHealth earns 20% off the saved cost when they negotiate for a lower medical bill
If a medical practitioner bills an unfair amount and is unwilling to negotiate with CrowdHealth, the platform will sue the medical practitioner, whereas a self-pay individual would not otherwise be able to afford a lawsuit like this.
Cons:
Long term bad idea.
Your membership ends when you turn 65
No guarentee of medical bills being paid. Members are ultimately responsible for their own bills. Biggest problem with this, is any medical emergency especially one which requires an ambulance.
Monthly contributions are used to crowd fund member billing expenses.
Does not satisfy Mandatory Essential Coverage mandates in the states which have them California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont
Contributions are not eligible for tax breaks like health insurance premiums or health care sharing ministries.
Counter-Party risk. Funds are custodied by a fourth party (if CrowdHealth is a 3rd party, their funds custodian would be a fourth party). One could assume this is a bank, but information on who this party may be, is not disclosed anywhere I could find.
Analysis:
It would seem to me that if you were inspired by the CrowdHealth system, which is that you save 30%-60% by paying yourself rather than billing an insurer, it might be a better idea to simply have a "Health fund" seperate from your savings account which contains a store of value (so not the US dollar) like gold or Bitcoin. This way, you can pay for medical bills that you will see when you turn 65.
Because health care in the short term, impacts health expenses in the future, maybe a hybrid model could be considered. You use CrowdHealth for the pros, but knowing its limitations, you also have a "Health fund"
Hold your peace about a government solution being even better. Some people aren't looking to wait around for government solutions that haven't been made into law, promised, nor are probable in the foreseeable future.