5 Ways to Save Money in Healthcare
With healthcare prices increasing every year, it’s never a bad idea to find monetary shortcuts where you can. Here are 5 ways you can take charge of your health care costs and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year.
- Stay in-network
If you have health insurance, you are most likely paying a premium, deductible, and/or administrative fees. All of that might be for nothing if you end up seeing a physician or center that’s out of network. Most health insurance companies let you check who counts as in-network online but you can also call the offices yourself just in case their insurance policies have changed.
- Shop around and compare prices
If your healthcare provider orders an MRI, CT Scan, Ultrasound, or X-ray, you have a choice where your test is performed. Comparison shopping quickly identifies which centers and payment methods are the most affordable. While patients are free to do this on their own, Medmo makes it even easier by only showing providers that match your location and price range.
- Which type of care is right for your situation?
The cost of saving money is the lack of immediate care and treatment which is a personal decision for each patient. The biggest example of this is hospital and emergency rooms versus outpatient centers. Try to only use emergency services for emergencies! If your situation is urgent, please do not hesitate to go to an emergency room or urgent care but if you are looking for a treatment that could be done at an outpatient facility like an MRI scan and you can spare the time, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fees.
- See if you can pay cash
For people who are uninsured or underinsured, screenings such as MRI or PET scans may seem like financial burdens. Luckily, many centers are prepared for this and offer lower rates if you pay cash. Medmo offers up to 80% off select scans through our cash pay rates.
- Request copies of your medical records
It may seem obvious but many patients have to undergo repeat scans and exams because of lost or misplaced medical records. This is especially common when consulting with doctors of different specialties or changing doctors completely. Some insurance companies even have caps on how many imaging scans you can get done in a certain pay period, possibly increasing your out-of-pocket costs by thousands. Most doctors will provide copies of any blood work or imaging you’ve done after but just in case, Medmo provides free copies of your scans every time.
To book a scan, visit us at Medmo.com. Medmo helps people schedule radiology imaging tests – such as MRI, CT scans, PET, and more – at nearby accredited centers and identify the payment solution that works best for them.
