UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said in a leaked internal video that the insurance company plays an important role in guarding against "unnecessary" and "unsafe" care.
It's almost like a healthcare system that creates an arms race between health insurance companies denying care vs healthcare providers overcharging leaves us paying huge amounts of $$ while not receiving adequate coverage.
Yeah, they're kind of right that "unnecessary care" happens, but they're conveniently ignoring that they are a large contributor to the problem. Without insurance companies leaving hospitals and patients on the hook for thousands at a time, you might not see $20 bandaids, $2000 ambulance rides, and expensive tests that didn't really need to be done.
I'm positive that my co-pay is the actual price or even over the actual price. The insurance company negotiates their own prices and hospitals charge more for out of pocket payers. Insurance just fights you so they never have to pay anything once you have an actual expensive issue.
And also important is that more people might be inclined to get preemptive care, and physicals/checkups, if it didn't require they jump through so many hoops (or go bankrupt if Dr. finds/treats something).