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Four Tips When Price Shopping for Healthcare
Don’t you wish shopping around for healthcare could be as easy as shopping on Amazon?
Healthcare costs continue to rise and consumers are responsible for more and more of the cut. Instead of flat co-pays, consumers may be responsible for a percentage of their hospital admission or outpatient surgery. With high-deductible health plans and self-funded health savings accounts, consumers are learning to be savvier if they want to control medical spending. Price shopping will allow you to compare prices of providers and procedures before you partake, hopefully affording you the best value as well.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you hunt for the best healthcare prices.
1. Research your healthcare plan
First things first! Take a close look at your own health plan. The big insurers (think Blue Cross or Humana) have online resources that often include pricing tools. These can provide a general price range and often don’t include all procedures and providers, but it’s a great place to start.
If you don’t have a national insurer, call the number on the back of your insurance card to discuss prices. They often have a list of providers or clinics they recommend. Keep in mind that their recommendations are based on cost estimates. However, they should be able to help you match up your coverage with the best-estimated cost for each facility, provider, or procedure.
