[quote=afx114][quote=bearishgurl]These “chronic health-care users” run up the premiums for all of us.[/quote]

Agreed with “chronic” users, but there’s also a lot to be said for preventative checkups. If we can catch diseases before they become exponentially more expensive to treat, we all come out ahead.

It’s no different than getting regular tuneups/oilchanges for your car. Sure, spending the time/money every few months is a hassle, but it is a lot cheaper than having to rebuild your burnt out engine.[/quote]

afx114, my policy pays 100% of preventative care and I avail myself of ALL of it, every year and I am STILL a profit center for my carrier. I totally agree that it is a personal responsibility to have these annual checkups and periodic tests.

I was referring to the same people to go to providers for repeat visits (2-4x mo) for themselves and/or their children and are usually just sent to the store to buy some ibuprofen or some other over-the-counter remedy. Since they have a very low co-pay, they just keep making appointments, even for just a hangnail. I’ve seen this phenomenon all my life, mostly with overprotective parents and hypochondriac adults.