Comments on: 31 Ways to Save on Health Care and Medical Costs

By: Nikki W

Nikki W — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:09:13 +0000

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.

By: isa savings

isa savings — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:34:41 +0000

Thanks for that Nikki, will you permit me to use some of your response. I will cite all contents back to you.

By: RC

RC — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:36:45 +0000

@Nikki- Thanks for the great tips- you have some really good advice about taking control of your own health.

By: Carnival of Personal Finance #174 - The Columbus Day Edition | Greener Pastures: Personal Finance

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:07:00 +0000

[...] RC from Think Your Way To Wealth presents 31 Ways to Save on Health Care and Medical Costs. [...]

By: Nikki W

Nikki W — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:16:07 +0000

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…

By: RC

RC — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:43:40 +0000

@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.

By: Uncommonadvice

Uncommonadvice — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:47:11 +0000

32) Move to the UK.

By: MoneyMateKate

MoneyMateKate — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:55:20 +0000

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!

By: RC

RC — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:18:53 +0000

@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.

By: Mona

Mona — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:14:00 +0000

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.

By: Christina @ Northern Cheapskate

Christina @ Northern Cheapskate — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:03:59 +0000

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!