You sought medical care you needed, and now youre being penalized with a ridiculously high bill.
When you finally take a deep breath and face those crazy-high bills, the bottom line can feel insurmountable.
Youcanpay less for the same treatment, from high-cost medical procedureslike surgeryto bills you already owe.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Ask one of these companies to help…
If youve already received the bill:
1.
Did you know?
But dont wait too long you dont want it to go to collections!
That total is big enough already, right?
Your insurance companyuses CPT codes to determine how much to reimburse the provider.
Your plan will specify what procedures, under which codes, are included and at what cost.
Also, dont hesitate to file an appeal to your insurance company on denied claims.
You might be surprised by whats contributing to the summary total.
Ensure youwere actually given the $25 aspirinyoure being charged for.
Consumer reporter Caroline Mayer writespatients are sometimes charged for medication they brought themselves.
Duplicate items have also been known to appear on medical bills.
(Youprobablydidnt have your gallbladder out twice.)
Were you charged as an inpatient or an outpatient?
Whats more, they find wiggle room in the bills they look at 80% of the time.
Thats right: If they dont save you anything, you dont spend a dime.
Patient advocates and attorneys can also help you figure out convoluted medical bills.
If you have access to a strong data pipe that would respond well to a crowdsourcing campaign, tryGoFundMeorYouCaring.
But thereissuch a thing as overdoing it.
Turns out it was just (really) bad gas.
I should have known when the triage nurse asked me to jump up and down.
Reap the benefits of my expensive lesson: Avoid emergency rooms if possible.
But the power of information-sharing technology is revealing price differences that used to be invisible to the consumer.
Lots of variability, huh?
I was surprised by the extreme difference in mark-ups betweenfor-profit and not-for-profit hospitals try 1,200%!
If youre facing down a relatively minor surgical procedure, considergoing outpatient.
There is absolutely no reason to pay the extreme premium on a branded pill.
Plus, generic prescription drugs are available for free or steeply discounted at vendors like Target and Publix.
That way you know you have a certain amount of money thatsonlyto be used for medical expenses.
That means your money grows and comes out of the account tax-free.
Take Care of Yourself
Preventative medicine is totally free.
Take advantage of the checkups covered under your insurance plan.
You might also receive chiropractic care, acupuncture and massage through your insurance plan.
Understand your benefits, and take advantage of them!
There are lots of apps to make living more healthfully easy and even fun.
Thats not too hard, is it?
Plus, it provides a little extra motivation on those days when a run just doesnt sound so appealing.
You only get one body; so, take care of it.
Plus, youll have more money to enjoy over the course of your long life!
Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a contributor at The Penny Hoarder.
She also writes other stuff, like wine reviews and poems.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
