French living in the US here(California). I had to go to the general practitioner and I still don't understand how they can come up with prices as high as $400 when it cost me 22 euros back home for the exact same service.
Also my insurance company in France would rather pay for my flight ticket to go back home instead of going to the hospital in the US.
I've been in the US for almost 2 years now and it still puzzle me that I had to pay for STD test(!) and I still don't understand the US healthcare system.
Paying for STD tests? It means that it is not anonymous either… What a shame.
For non-French people: in France it is standard that STD tests can be done anonymously and for free by anyone (you are never asked any identification information, everybody can do it even non-French person).
In the US, you can get either confidential testing or anonymous testing. You have to pay for both, but the former results in your insurance provider being informed of your test. Some states also have only confidential testing.
I know people who are very careful about this because they don't want premiums going up. These things all add friction to the process in a time of high stress. As a user experience, it is of very poor quality.
Nope, that's what an "under convention" GP gets for a visit (there is an issue with that number not having followed inflation in a long time). The patient will pay very little of it, nothing if completely covered (CMU). Doctors make less money in France than in the US, but are still plenty well off.
Also my insurance company in France would rather pay for my flight ticket to go back home instead of going to the hospital in the US.
I've been in the US for almost 2 years now and it still puzzle me that I had to pay for STD test(!) and I still don't understand the US healthcare system.