It goes without saying that every citizen wants the best, low-cost healthcare. Making changes to your healthcare habits can have substantial effects on your spending. In fact, with a small amount of effort, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars that would otherwise be part of an unnecessarily expensive medical fee. If you are confused, you can also consult a reliable healthcare financing concierge service which can help you to navigate the complicated healthcare system here in the United States and keep costs low. Below are some steps to follow if you want to avoid paying expensive medical bills.
Have a Good Comprehension of your Health Insurance Plan
Knowing what your health insurance plan is key to understanding your medical bill. With professional help, you can easily find out all about your health plan. It is important that you figure out what kind of things your health insurance policy provides coverage for, the amount your insurer has agreed to pay in the case of a medical procedure or hospital stay, the remaining amount of costs that you have to fork out by yourself and other information. Bear in mind that it is highly unlikely your plan will pay for the entire bill. This means that you will have to be prepared to pay a percentage of your medical bill.
Potential Out-of-Pocket Costs
In the health insurance industry, these out-of-pocket costs indicate the percentage of your medical bill that your insurer will not help you cover. These are the costs that the policyholder will have to pay ‘out of their own pockets’. These expenses include copays for doctor consultations, co-insurance, and other deductibles that might be accumulated by your healthcare provider. Did you know that you can use pre-tax dollars from an HSA or FSA account to cover qualified expenses? Learn more about covered expenses here, or reach out to a TouchCare Health Assistant.
"If you have a high-deductible health insurance plan, applying for a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Savings Account (FSA) could save you hundreds annually."
Ensure that Your Healthcare Provider is “In-Network”
What being in-network means is that your provider would have already agreed upon certain discounted rates with your insurer. If your provider is out-of-network, chances are that you will have to pay a significantly larger medical bill. As such, it is always the responsibility of the patient to check if their provider is in-network. TouchCare Health Assistants will always guide you to the best in-network options.
Signing up for a Health Savings Account (HSA)
If you have a high-deductible health insurance plan, it would only serve to benefit you if you apply for a Health Savings Account (HSA). This is extremely useful to healthcare consumers because it will allow patients to utilize tax-free money that comes directly from your paycheck to pay for the medical bills.
The Importance of Preventive Healthcare and Health Screenings
A long-term solution would be to make a conscientious effort to go for health screenings and preventive medicine procedures. This could come in the form of pap smears, mammograms, or colonoscopies. Ultimately, although doing this might scare some people, it is extremely beneficial because it can help to detect any potential health problems that would be cheaper to deal with at an early stage.
Get to know your virtual options
If your medical issue is not a pressing or serious one, you should avoid a hospital and seek a telemedicine option instead. Virtual care doctors can treat minor injuries such as sprains and cuts that are non-life-threatening. Most virtual visits are free or at a nominal cost, compared to substantial expenses that can accrue from visiting an ER.
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