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Healthcare before the Government takes Action

In this special report, we will take a look at some of the things you can do to trim those costs without shaving valuable services in the process.

There is more to healthcare than simply paying the list price.

The Negotiation for Care
One of the many problems we have with healthcare as it currently exists is not the cost but how we use those costs. For example, in Europe, it is not uncommon for a traveler to ask to see a hotel room before they put any money down. But see a doctor in the US, and there is little likelihood you will ask about the cost of the procedure, even if you are covered, before the exam. Don't ask me why. As near as I can tell, it is simply how we approach our health and the cost, nothing more.

Often, the doctor is much more amicable to the negotiation of price than you might realize. A friend of mine, a psychologist once lamented that for every doctor in his office, there were seven people doing the paperwork. While your doctor may employ less people to do the job, the cost of your healthcare is paying for a staff you rarely have any contact with.

Asking if there is any chance you might pay for the visit, eliminates numerous costs associated with that visit. If the doctor is a smart business person, he will realize this and can offer you a more direct way of paying rather than sending your visit through the channels, only to have you pay a deductible that might be more than you are willing to pay.

Uninsured People do it all of the time.
If you are, for whatever reason, using an out-of-network doctor or hospital, the offer to pay without involving your insurer, can be met with special discounts. Often this type of situation arise when you least expect it but conditioning yourself to talk dollars and cents with your doctor or hospital can be a cash-saver.

You may be thinking, what if the bill is more than I am willing to pay but still less than what my deductible, co-pay or co-insurance would be? Should you swipe your credit card and reason that savings is worth tapping your credit for as opposed to going the traditional route?

negotiations do not break down because of price. In fact, hospitals are more than willing to set-up a plan for payment that often comes at no interest. In truth, they are happy to be paid.

What if You need an Operation?
Even if it is something as simple as a test, your insurer can be a guide to the least expensive facility to perform the test or operation. The decision will ultimately be yours to make - second opinions are always suggested - but often, these efforts at cost-cutting do not necessarily mean they are going to send you to some backroom surgeon down a dark alley.

The insurer has a vested interest in keeping you well. But they also have an eye on costs. The best thing to do is compare, particularly if the test is of the outpatient variety. If is surgery, compare hospitals for patient care and outcomes of that procedures.

Small hospitals may okay for smaller types of routine surgeries. But larger facilities will be more likely to have a surgeon on staff that has had more experience. Here is where you need to compare.

The Other Options
Simply losing weight can lower blood pressure from borderline to good in a short amount of time. Stopping smoking can also lessen some problems down the road. And exercising regularly can alleviate back pain and a whole host of other maladies that might force the doctor into prescribing a regime of medications and a battery of tests to confirm.

But they may not suggests this unless you ask. The question is phrased something like this: "Doc, is there anything else I can do?" You'd be surprised what a little effort, a little negotiating and a little money savvy can net you when it comes to healthcare.

Learn more about Flexible Savings Accounts.