> I grew up in the lower middle class in France, and I have what's considered great healthcare in the US. In France, I would never think twice before going to the doctor (i.e primary care) when I had a medical issue. In the US, I still think it twice even though my copay is not a big dent in my budget.
That’s the point of co-pays, and that’s why France has them. According to the OECD statistics I posted elsewhere in this thread, per capita expenditures on non-premium out of pocket expenses (things like co-pays and deductibles) are the same in the US and France.
A doctor visit in France is 25€, the copay is usually 1€ (or 30% if you don’t have a complementary). My copay on my PCP in the US is $20. That’s not counting what happens if you do blood work, labs, if you go to an ER (where you don’t pay anything in France).
There’s more than an order of magnitude between those two numbers here. You can look at your OECD statistics, or look at the experience of people who’ve actually lived there.
That’s the point of co-pays, and that’s why France has them. According to the OECD statistics I posted elsewhere in this thread, per capita expenditures on non-premium out of pocket expenses (things like co-pays and deductibles) are the same in the US and France.