A common problem in modern society is the cost of health care. Every year, medical bills, drug costs, and insurance premiums are eating up a greater and greater percentage of most people’s incomes. The overall rising rate for the same services is not something that can be remedied by the consumer. However, there are steps that can be taken to lower medical bills and payments as a whole. Here are some suggestions on things that you can do to save some money and reduce your yearly expenditure on medical costs.

The first step is to decide what kind of insurance coverage you need to have. With some individuals, this is determined by the business they work for and they do not have options. However, for a greater percentage of Americans, independent plans are becoming more common and more reasonable options. These especially make sense for younger users, who are not as likely to need the same level of coverage that those entering their twilight years will need. A good way to save money on independent insurance is to consider paying less in monthly premiums by not including standard doctor visits in the plan. This would seem counterintuitive because a visit to a general practitioner is the most common form of care needed. But including three to five general practitioner visits per year can raise the monthly rate by over $100. Consider that these visits can typically run for $100 or less depending on the physician. As such, the increase in monthly premium is equitable to an extra doctor’s visit every single month, which is highly unlikely to be used. It makes more financial sense to pay those visits out of pocket and save the money in premiums.

A second way to reduce medical payments is know when and where to receive care. That is not to encourage the reader to do a greater degree of self-diagnosis, but rather use their own common sense when the symptoms are a bit more obvious. For example, there is (usually) no reason for a middle of the night emergency room for a case of the sniffles. Time of day and location may also factor into costs. Night visits typically run higher than day visits. Trips to the local minor emergency center can often be significantly cheaper than trips to the hospital ER. Please note: Do NOT avoid emergency rooms to save money when facing an actual emergency.

A third way to reduce bills occurs after the bill of service has already been rendered. Many patients do not realize that there is often some leeway involved in these bills. To be blunt, some services are rather arbitrarily billed in the first place. Speak directly with the billing department before paying anything. Make sure that you got the best rate they are willing to give you. If it is more than you can afford, tell them that so that you can work out a reduced rate or payment plan. Medical costs can be a monster, but that does not mean that the people rendering them are monsters.

Author Recommendations:
LA Times Article on Medical Bills
Site for Foreign Medical Schools
Healthcare at Athena

Author Recommendations:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/01/medicare-for-all-bill-advances-in-state-senate.html
http://www.auamed.org/foreign-medical-schools
http://www.athenahealth.com/

Author Bio: Author Recommendations:
LA Times Article on Medical Bills
Site for Foreign Medical Schools
Healthcare at Athena

Category: Medical Business
Keywords: Healthcare, medical billing, doctors, hospitals