The health care How it works: In the Access to Healthcare Network, patients bring cash up front (or are sponsored by friends or family who can) to doctors and specialists and receive standardized, steep discounts on everything from routine checkups to MRIs to surgery. More expensive services such as hospital stays have caps on them, so patients always know the maximum fee they're facing. Members also pay a monthly fee of $24; unlimited family member plans run $35 a month, bringing the true average cost per person to $15. Members of the program must agree to pay upfront for any services they receive. Sample discounts: Specialty Care, urologist, follow-up visit, average $180 Ten-day inpatient hospital stay, average: $50,000 Outpatient hernia repair average $12,500 outpatient Dental exam, X-ray, and cleaning: $285 Source: Access to Healthcare Network |