Doctors and Diagnostic Tests Money Saving Tips, Ideas and Advice on How to Reduce Your Healthcare and Medical Costs

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“Healthcare Savings Advice & Tips On How To Save Money On All Your Medical & Healthcare Expenses”

DOCTORS & DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

DOCTORS, DIAGNOSTIC TESTS & OTHER MEDICAL SERVICES

Saving money on doctors, tests and other medical services is a difficult task. If you have comprehensive healthcare coverage with a low deductible and co-pays, this may not be a major source of concern, since most all of your medical costs are covered by your insurance. But if you do not have this type of coverage, controlling medical costs is generally very important. Unfortunately, the average person does not have the medical knowledge to evaluate if certain treatments are necessary or properly done. Deciding on whether money should be spent on medical services, and whether the price and quality of services is a “good buy,” are hard decisions. Many people opt to just accept what the doctor and hospital order, without questioning what they are getting and the cost they are being charged. But there are ways to try to control your expenditures and still get the care you need.

1. Try to make rational decisions on where to go when you need care.

a. Emergency rooms are by far the most expensive alternative and should be avoided, unless you have a true emergency that requires acute and specialized treatment right away.

b. Instead of going to the emergency room, go to your local urgent care facility. They can handle most “routine” emergencies at far less cost than emergency rooms.

c. For general care, find a good primary care doctor and develop a long-term relationship. But try to save some money by keeping office visits confined to routine checkups and necessary care.

d. For routine care, if you do not have a regular doctor, consider using walk-in clinics. They have doctors and nurses on staff that can handle most “normal” medical issues. There may also be a low-priced local clinic available in your neighborhood.

e. Public health fairs can be a less expensive way to get those screening tests you need, such as eye exams, cholesterol, blood pressure checks, etc. You can also check blood pressure at many pharmacies by using their blood pressure kiosk.

f. Often traveling diagnostic labs will visit communities offering low-cost heart screening, etc. If you need these types of tests and can wait until these facilities visit your town you may save a lot. You can also utilize Internet-based services like MyMedLab.com which has more than 1,100 collection sites nationwide where a sample can be drawn with results sent to you and your doctor (if they ordered the test).

g. And do not forget about the health department and health fairs for such things as vaccinations and flu shots.

2. Before going to a new doctor, make sure you check the doctor’s background, to ensure that there have not been any prior problems, and that you are happy with the doctor’s credentials. You may also want to consider this for your present doctor. Below are a few sources to consider.

a. The web site DocBoard.org (free) will link you to state licensing boards for doctors. In many instances these boards will have a wealth of information on any doctor licensed to practice in your state.

b. The web site of the American Medical Association (AMA-Assn.org) which is free will provide information on where the doctor attended medical school and did their residency work, as well as any board certifications. It will also provide phone number and location and information on hospital admitting privileges.

c. RateMeds.com (free) is a place where people rate their doctors. While the site is relatively new, and many doctors are not yet listed, your doctor may be. Or, you may want to add a rating for your doctor.

d. The site DocInfo.org is operated by the Federation of State Medical Boards and includes background on education and licenses, as well as disciplinary actions, if any. There is a $10 fee per profile.

e. HealthGrades.com is a fee-based service that provides very thorough reports on your doctor. Different fees are charged for different levels of information.

f. To check out hospitals, try HospitalCompare.hhs.gov, a new free service provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This site provides you with information on how well the hospitals care for all their adult patients with certain conditions or procedures. This information can help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide. Talk to your doctor about this information to help you and your family make your best hospital care decisions.