Rising healthcare costs are a serious worry for many people as they wonder what could happen if they become seriously ill or have an accident. Having insurance coverage doesn't necessarily mean that your costs will be low, and one thing going wrong could put a big dent in your savings. Make sure you aren't making one of these mistakes to ensure your costs are as low as possible:
Not Shopping around for Healthcare Costs
In addition to shopping around for your health insurance every year you should also be shopping around for your specific healthcare costs. If you're really sick and need emergency medical care this might not be a viable option for you. However, if you're going through some routine checks or it's for something that you have a bit of time before you need to get done it can be worth calling around to see how much procedures cost in different places. If you do have insurance always make sure to check if where you're going is in your network. Websites like healthcarebluebook.com can also tell you if what you're paying for your healthcare sounds right based on the area where you live.
Not Asking about Generic Brands
When you're at the doctors getting a new prescription make sure to ask if there's a similar generic alternative. Since the generic brand didn't have the same costs involved with making the drug as their name brand alternative, they are able to keep prices much lower. Generic brands can end up saving you hundreds of dollars per prescription while still serving the same purpose.
Not Couponing or Comparing Prices for Prescriptions
If you've been going to the same pharmacy to collect the same prescriptions for years then you might be spending more than you need to. Check online with websites such as blinkhealth.com to see if you can find your prescriptions at a discounted cost. Even if you're insured make sure you're checking to see if you're paying the lowest costs that you can be to access your medication. Price checking at different pharmacies and finding coupons online can help to reduce what you pay.
Not Negotiating Your Payment
If you've recently suffered a long illness but don't have insurance, or you've come across a procedure that you need but your insurance won't cover, you're probably facing a large bill. Before you start to panic over the building costs talk with the administrators. Ask if there's any discounts you qualify for especially if you plan on paying in cash or the whole payment at once. Work out a payment plan that you're comfortable with as neither of you want the bill to have to go to a collection agency.
Going to the Emergency Room for Everything
If you go to the emergency room every time you get sick with a cold or the flu, chances are you're building up some very expensive bills. Next time, before heading off to the emergency room, ask yourself if it's something that could be handled by an urgent care center. If you have anything from broken bones to UTIs to strep throat, an urgent care center will be more cost and time effective than the emergency room.