Deductible Help

So I enrolled in PPO coverage with Anthem through my employer, my deductible is $6400. When trying to book appointments, I realized that I have to pay the full cost of the visits until I reach the deductible, and after that I would only pay co-pay/co-insurance. I’ve had PPO plans through previous employers and that has never been the case, it has always been paying the co-pay towards the deductible. I realize now that I enrolled in clearly not a great plan, and am stuck with it unless I leave my job or until next open enrollment.

I spoke to a representative today and they said that they do offer in-network discounts, but you wouldn’t know the discount until after the claim has been processed. Does anyone have experience with this and know what kind of discounts are provided on a broad scale? I understand the discounts would vary based on provider/procedure/etc. I was also told that if it’s coded as preventive, it’s fully covered, so for seeing specialists, would it make sense to get referrals from a PCP to show it could be deemed as preventative? I.E. seeing a cardiologist, dermatologist, neurologist, etc

Would it be a good idea to find some type of supplemental insurance to offset the upfront costs of visits and testing?

For context, I’m in my late 20s living in South Florida and haven’t seen many doctors over the past 10 years aside from doctors related to a car accident injury.

Thank you in advance for your help.

submitted by /u/mje83
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