Want to Know How to Cut Cost on Your Health Care Without Sacrificing Quality? Here’s How!
Cutting cost on your health care can be done without sacrificing the quality. As they say, health is wealth. You should take care of your health in order to function properly in your day to day to life. However, health care can put a strain in your pocket. If you wish to save some cash without affecting the quality of your health care, here are some of the things that you can do.
Use Generic Medications
Generic medications have the same content, dosage and usage as their branded counterparts. Since they are also regulated by the FDA, they are safe to be used. When purchasing over the counter medications, ask for generics as they are also effective, but they are not as pricey as known brands. When it comes to prescription medications, you may ask your doctor if he can prescribe you a generic brand that’s also effective in treating your health concern.
Get a Flexible Savings Account
A flexible savings account or FSA is an account that automatically deducts specific amount on your check each pay out. The amount saved in this account is tax free, which is a savings in your pocket. You may use this for the entire year for medical and health expenses. Previously, remaining amount that’s not used will not be carried over the following year. However, this has been changed; and now, up to $500 of the remaining balance can be carried over on the next year.
Ask for Discounts
If you don’t ask the answer will always be no. So don’t be afraid to ask discounts from your health provider. Most of the time, they would grant your request, especially if you’ve been a patient for a long time and your financial situation is tough at the moment. This may not always happen though, as they also need to earn. However, there’s no harm in trying, so see if they can lower the service cost so you could save some dollars.
Always Check on Medical Bills
Medical bills are not always accurate. Make it a habit to check on the details to make sure that you are billed correctly. If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or the billing department of the hospital for clarification.
Determine if Procedure is Needed
When having a check-up, several tests may be requested by the doctor. Don’t be shy to ask on what the tests are for since it’s your right to know. Moreover, determine if they are really needed or if you can pass on them. Sometimes, there are tests that are being requested that are not really vital. If the other tests can also give the result the physician is looking for, you may pass on those that are not that important.
Compare Prices
When purchasing products, it pays to shop around and compare. This is because stores and providers usually offer the same items at varying prices. This is true with medicines and health supplies. Check with different pharmacies to determine which offers the most affordable products. Do the same when looking for a laboratory to do your tests. One laboratory may offer the same test at a cheaper price than the other.
You may also ask your doctor for recommendations on where you can get the tests at a lower cost since they usually work with these facilities. Choose a provider and facility that’s within the network of your insurance provider as they often offer competitive prices.
Choose the Right Health Insurance
Getting the right health insurance is also one way to save money. Insurance providers offer varying rates. By comparing their quotes, you’ll find the one that has the best offer. If your insurance is not enough for your needs, you may not get the right coverage that suits you. This may lead to high out of the pocket expenses in the future. Paying more than what you need on the other hand also wastes your money.
Exercise and Eat Right
Prevention is always better than cure. By staying healthy, you can avoid different medical and health related expenses. Proper diet and regular exercise is the most effective way to do this.
It’s also important that you take your medications with the right dosage and on the right time to be effective. Failure to do so may result with your health condition not being treated, which in turn, can result to more expenses.
Photo Attribution:
Featured and 1st image by Bill Branson (Photographer) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
2nd image by Earl McGehee (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
