How to Save Money on Health Care

photo credit: Biology Big Brother

Your health care can be a source of huge bills, but it’s really not something you want to neglect. But what many people don’t realise is that most hospitals are happy to negotiate on costs. Here are some tips to help you save money on your health care without compromising the care that you receive:

• Ask your referring doctor about which hospitals are best for providing lower out-of-pocket costs for patients.
• Get the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for your procedure and call several medical centers to check the exact costs for the services you need.
• Call people in the billing department of medical centers and be firmly insistent about getting the cost quotes you need.
• Try negotiating by asking for a prompt payment discount or, if you need, negotiate a more protracted payment arrangement without extra cost.
• Ask lots of questions and check that health care services that are recommended to you are actually necessary.
• Ask the medical center what the Medicare rates are, and then try to negotiate your cost closer to this rate.
• Choose generic drugs when possible, but first check that they are on your insurer’s list.
• Check hospital and medical center quotes and bills for small additional costs that might not be necessary (toiletries, for example) - these small costs add up.

Tags: Health Care | personal finance | Saving Money | savings