Fire Your Doc

Q. My health plan it work is going up in price to over $800 per month. I can just barely afford it now. I looked at a plan for $300 per month that includes a maternity benefit that we need. The problem is, it is an HMO and we would have to change doctors. What should I do?

A. The easy answer is, fire your doc.

Is that relationship so sacred that you are willing to pay $500 per month, over $6000 per year just to see him a few times during the year? I am sure you are comfortable with your doctor, but if $800 is not in your budget it is time to evalutate your priorities.

Have you considered going with the HMO and paying to see "your" doc out of pocket? Surely it would be much less than $6000 over the course of the year.