Just like the price of everything these days, the cost of health care, medical treatment, prescriptions, and other health-related services continues to skyrocket, as it has for some time now. Educating yourself about your health and saving money on health care costs can really make a difference, especially if you have a family and are responsible for paying the expenses for more than just yourself. Below are some ideas for saving when it comes to your health and medical costs. Some will put money in your pocket right away by reducing expenses, others will keep you healthier and keep you from having to spend as much money.
1.) Ask for generic prescriptions- Asking your doctor if there is a generic alternative can save you money. While he or she may not always prescribe one, most of the time if one is available they will.
2.) Eat a healthy diet-Your diet is something you can control, unlike heredity, that can have a positive effect on your everyday health. Eating fruits and vegetables, taking vitamins, and avoiding unhealthy foods can make you feel better and keep you in better health.
3.) Play the drugstore game at CVS, Rite aid, and Walgreens- Look for rebates, coupons, and freebies by checking their ads in the Sunday paper.
4.) Look for gift card deals for transferring prescriptions- Many pharmacies will offer gift cards of $20 to $30 for transferring your prescription to them. Make sure they are not charging more than you are currently paying, or you may not reap any benefits.
5.) Use Walmart’s $4 prescription program- Walmart has a list of over 350 prescriptions available for $4, and recently added additional women’s health prescriptions for $9. Target has a similar program. Check the list for medications you may take, and consider taking it to the doctor’s office when you go.
6.) Quit smoking-As I’ve mentioned before, no explanation necessary here- quitting smoking is good for you and can save you money.
7.) Cut back on alcohol- A few drinks now and again is OK, but if you find yourself going out for drinks several times a week, cutting back can save you money and improve your health.
8.) Cut back on fast food- While fast food can be convenient, most of the time it is unhealthy, although there are a few choices here and there that aren’t so bad. Look for healthier alternatives, and cook and eat at home more to save money and improve you health.
9.) Exercise- Everyone should get regular exercise, and the lack of exercise and the corresponding obesity problem in the US is a big part of us being unhealthy. Try to exercise several times a week.
10.) Ditch the gym membership- While this might be blasphemous to some, if you aren’t going to the gym like you used to, consider dropping it and take up walking, running, biking, or other “free” form of exercise.
11.) Get regular checkups- Regular check ups can identify chronic health issues that are treatable before they become serious, and can keep small health problems from turning into bigger ones.
12.) Use a flexible spending account-If you have a flex spending option at work, take advantage of tax-free spending on your health related items including co-pays, prescriptions, and even over the counter items. Check out this list of flexible spending eligible items to see what items are eligible.
13.) Consider a health savings account (HSA) medical plan-I switched my health insurance plan to an HSA this year, and so so far it has been great. I have over $2000 saved, almost all of which would have been spent on premiums for health insurance with an HMO or PPO had I stayed with one of those plans.
14.) Ask for samples from your doctor-When your doctor starts talking about prescriptions, ask if he has any samples available for you to try. Often, he will give you enough to sue so you don’t have to pay for a prescription.
15.) Ask about alternative treatments, etc.- I’m not talking about anything new age here, but discussing your condition and educating yourself about the treatment options. No one knows your body better than you do, and some alternatives may be less costly.
16.) Use a discount card at pharmacies, if available-Some pharmacies offer a discount card if you are a regular customer or don’t have other prescription coverage. Ask if your pharmacy has a program and take advantage of it if they do.
17.) Take advantage of your medical plan’s additional services- Many insurance companies offer tips on diet, weight loss, smoking cessation, etc. from a registered professional. Take advantage of these services if they are available to you.
18.) Argue with your insurance company-if they deny coverage or won’t pay the bill. As I mention below, mistakes can and do happen.
19.) Read medical bills carefully-Several times over the last few years I have had a mistake on a bill where something that should have been covered was initially denied. Check your bills carefully for errors, they do happen.
20.) Use all the services you pay for- Dental, vision, etc. Don’t be lazy and skip check-ups or regular exams.
21.) Wash your hands.- Most germs are spread from your hand to your mouth or eyes. Keeping your hands clean can reduce this risk.
22.) Keep house and work area clean and germ free- Paying attention to cleanliness can help you and your family avoid germs that can make you sick.
23.) Try urgent care facilities instead of ER-When you can’t make a doctor’s appointment, or you have something that requires immediate care but does not reach the level of requiring an emergency room visit, consider going to an urgent care facility, which is usually much cheaper than going to the emergency room.
24.) Don’t wait too long to see a doctor- When something is wrong or doesn’t feel right, get it checked out. Waiting will likely make it worse, and potentially more costly.
25.) Use safety equipment when required- Helmets for kids, safety glasses when using power tools, etc. are good habits to adopt to avoid injury.
26.) Educate yourself about your health-Learn as much as you can about your illnesses or chronic conditions. It can help you determine what treatments are available, and you can also learn ways to keep yourself healthier.
27.) Consider using medical or dental schools- dental schools often offer discounted teeth cleaning, orthodontics, and some medical school clinics even medical treatment or exams.
28. Make sure you stay in network- Before you go to a specialist or get a referral, make sure the new doctor is in your health insurance network, or you could risk coverage being denied.
29.) Double check with insurance companies for coverage- Before you go in for a scheduled procedure, check with your insurance company to verify coverage, as well as the amount covered, as sometimes there are limits.
30.) Spread medical/dental work out over 2 calendar years- Some dental plans have a yearly limit based on the calendar year. If you have several things to take care of that can wait, spread it out over more than one year.
31.) Floss, Floss, Floss- Your dentist and your teeth will thank you.
While this is a pretty long list, do you have any other tips or suggestions for reducing your health care and medical costs?
Similar Posts:
- Your Health and Money- Save Money by Living Healthier
- Lower Your Medical Bills Through Negotiation, Cost Comparison, and Haggling
- The Health Savings Account (HSA) and Can I Do Better Than a Health Insurance Company?
- How Did My Health Savings Account (HSA) Perform Last Year?
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One thing that I do is split my pills for one of my prescriptions. You have to talk to your doctor first because not all prescriptions can be split. But if they can, have your doctor prescribe a higher dose, then split the pills in half. A few minutes of your time can make your prescription last twice as long!
I have a high-deductible health plan so I always try to make the most out of my health care dollars by making informed choices. Before I visit a health care provider I do my research to find the best value (price + quality) for this service, find out what other consumers paid for similar services and I determine what a fair (reasonable) price is. I use http://www.outofpocket.com, the community search tool that allows me to share and compare prices for health care services.
@Christina- Great tip, Thanks!- and its good you mentioned talking to your doctor before you do it to make sure it is OK for the medicine you are taking.
Good stuff – I just blogged about my health insurance expenses (I’m self-employed) yesterday, and you have a few ideas that are new to me. Thanks!
I don’t have chiropractic coverage, but most chiropractors are pretty fair about dealing with people like me. I’m in bad shape at the moment, so I’m doing a $300 deal for unlimited adjustments for 4 weeks. I’m going 5x a week (I really do need it, it’s not just trying to get a lot of bang for my buck)…that’s $15 per visit. My old chiropractor (different state) sells a 10-session package for $250. On average, insurance companies pay them $40-70 per visit, so these are GREAT deals.
Like @Christina, I also split my pills whenever possible. I don’t have Rx coverage, and my doctor is very understanding.
Something I’ve been given a royal financial wedgie over: “office surgery”. Periodically check with your insurance company about the $ point at which you need the doc to call for a pre-cert, and then make sure the nurse puts a big note about it in your file. Otherwise you end up paying through the nose – in my case, 60% instead of 20% of anything over $300. And you’d be shocked at what qualifies as office surgery and attracts huge fees.
If you have limited mental health coverage, e.g. 12 or 20 sessions per year, try to time your visits to span two calendar years (similar to the above tip about dentistry) to minimize the break in treatment or out-of-pocket expense – but of course, not to the detriment of your mental health!
32) Move to the UK.
@MoneyMateKate: Good tips, thanks! It’s always a good idea to ask for a better price, and I think health care or is one place most people don’t do it.
These are all free…. but invaluable.
* Research, research, research. It turns out, for example, that for my brother’s back problem, the long term statistics show that surgery vs. physical therapy were equally effective – but surgery would put him out of work for weeks.
* Know the source of your information…. be very careful to read the source journals, not the interpretations only from the press.
* Many newspapers and other sources no longer have health writers, so you may have the interpretation by someone who doesn’t know, or WORSE, just a rehashing of the “press release” from the drug or other manufacturer.
* It is possible to read the Medline or other published journal articles and understand the salient points, even if you are not a science major. Read the abstract, the intro, and the conclusion. Print it out, highlight the key points, write down your questions.
* At the same time, not all “peer” comments are correct, either. Not all folks are trained in logic – just because you dyed your hair blue and won the lottery the same day does not mean there “was” a cause & effect relationship. (IE, anecdotal is not proof).
* So take your time, and research to educate yourself, taking notes to compare the facts across the sources. The bigger the issue, the more knowledge is needed. IF you are reading this blog, chances are you are VERY capable of writing a summary of the general nature of your illness, summarize the top (x) treatment options, and then your question to your care provider is “which one do you recommend for me and why?” not “what is available?”
* When you do go in and have a question, write it down in advance, and write down the answer and any technical terms, reading back the understanding you have.
* Ask why you are suppose to do things, and the ramifications if you don’t. IE, had I known that if I didn’t do the physical therapy, I’d wind up with arthritis in that joint, I would have done the PT…
@Nikki- Thanks for the great tips- you have some really good advice about taking control of your own health.
Thanks for that Nikki, will you permit me to use some of your response. I will cite all contents back to you.
Thank you for the kind comments. I have a very rudimentary blog and posted the comments there, as well… so you can credit either one.