I was at the doctor's office yesterday getting fitted for a CPAC machine. She was showing me all the brand new equipment. I asked her how this was being paid for. She replied that it was on a rent-to-own basis that the insurance company covers. I stopped her right there and asked if we could pretend for a moment that I was the customer here and not the insurance company. I asked her that if I was paying for this out of pocket (which I essentially was because of impossibly high deductibles brought on by the government mandating what is best for me), would I be better off buying my own machine on the open market. She said, "Yes, you can save hundreds of dollars doing that. Notify me when you get your machine, and we would be happy to set it up for you". THIS is what is wrong with our health care system. I am no longer the customer. The insurance company is. And the insurance company tells the doctor, "Sure, it's covered. We'll pay for it." At the same time, they tell me, "Sorry, have not yet reached your $12,000 deductible" (which was only $1,000 before the government got involved). If I had not spoken up and advocated for myself, I would have gotten screwed.