Final answer:
Mia's healthcare costs, including doctor appointments and delivery, would be determined by her health insurance's deductible, co-insurance, and co-payment amounts. While insurance reduces immediate out-of-pocket expenses for individuals, it does not lessen the healthcare costs for insurance companies or society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cost Mia paid for doctor appointments and delivery can be influenced by various factors within her health insurance coverage. Health insurance usually involves a deductible, which is the amount the insured must pay before the insurance starts to cover costs. Beyond the deductible, there is often cost-sharing, which could either be co-insurance, where Mia would pay a percentage of the costs, or a co-payment (co-pay), which is a fixed amount for services like doctor visits or emergency room visits.
Health insurance effectively reduces the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for individuals by covering a portion of the costs. However, this does not reduce the overall price of healthcare services, and the costs are often reflected back to the patients through premiums or taxes. For instance, despite a $50 co-pay for a doctor's visit, the cost to the insurer or society could actually be $120 per visit, with an overall increase in demand leading to additional costs for insurance companies and society.