With increasingly high costs of medications, doctor visits and hospital stays, remaining healthy has become an expensive proposition. In addition, it seems as though health insurers are passing along more and more costs in the form of higher deductibles, increased premiums and larger co-payments. Out-of-pocket costs for even one hospital stay could break a household budget.
Fortunately, you can control some health care costs by following a few simple strategies:
- Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. You haggle when buying a car.Why not use a similar tactic when discussing items on your hospital bill? In fact, out-of-pocket costs for a surgery may even exceed the cost of the vehicle sitting in your driveway. Luckily, health care providers may be open to reducing invoiced amounts,and some may offer discounts for upfront payment. You might also research the cost of similar services in your area and use those figures as a starting point for negotiation.
- Scrutinize the bill. When you receive the itemized bill, review it —line by line. Look for charges that don’t make sense, like high charges for hospital supplies that are available for a dollar at the local department store, or charges for services you didn’t receive (physical therapy that never happened). And multiple charges for the same item.
- Comparison shop before you buy. Unless you’re being treated for an emergency, you may have time to find more cost-effective health care alternatives. For example, using a standalone MRI imaging center may cost significantly less than the same test if offered by a hospital. A walk-in clinic or urgent care facility is generally cheaper than a visit to the local emergency room. And switching to generic drugs, when available, may save you money.
Want to learn other money savings tips? Contact our team of financial experts for help with identifying money savings options: http://www.bas-pc.com/schedule.
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