..... how much would the Tier 4 meds cost? I read the NY Times article a few days ago, and was similarly appalled.

Traditionally, the idea of insurance was to spread the costs of paying for the sick. When I've applied for insurance, I wasn't signing on for that, nor was that so-called concept shared with me as a consumer.

When Lew worked for an employer he was used to keep the company plan in a lower bracket. Our insurance costs grew to be so prohibitive, despite what his employer chipped in, so he asked if he could receive a portion of the money they used to pay for his coverage, rather than the coverage itself. Since it was touted as part of his pay and a few other employees received cash payments instead of being on the company plan (spouses coverage was used by these employees), we thought it was a reasonable request. That way we could shop around and decide how to handle our medical care independently. His request was denied and told they needed him to help lower the company's aging employee status ( the other employees who opted out were older, foreign and had current health issues).

It's all a shell game.