Some info for health care economists:

[hedgehog]

Ever wonder why you have a co-pay and/or an annual deductible? The concept here is that if you have to put your own money up, you won't go running to the doctor so often.

Well, I have bronchitis. It's what always happens after I get a cold. I'm using my inhaler, and things are slowly getting better. I still have an itchy throat that causes coughing spasms when I take a deep breath or talk or try to sing in choir :-( . The OTC stuff gives me about 75% relief. I've had a cheap prescription in the past that gives 100% relief. The deal is, if I call the doctor to ask for the script, he's likely to ask me to come in for a check-up. Reasonable enough. He wants to be sure I don't have pneumonia. It's not the $15 co-pay that's stopping me. It's the thought of taking two or three hours out of my day to go see the doctor. If I can tough this out another week or so, the cough will clear.

So, all the co-pay/deductible does is add to the paper work. I have better things to do than go to the doctor's office unless I'm really desperate.