“All industries compete on price and efficiency, but the healthcare industry exists to maximize billings and revenue. They do not compete on price and efficiency. ….. Our vision is to empower the stakeholders of healthcare (doctors, hospitals, and patients) to discover the true cost of care so that they can be the custodians of their own future.” (SOURCE: Health Cost Labs)
NOTE: For those interested in continuing Health Care Financing post graduate studies (or need to satisfy continuing education needs and requirements) this website Health Cost Labs should be part of your instructional materials. Below is some of the information you will find on their website:
HOW TO BUY LOW COST HEALTH CARE
Get CPT or DRG code from your doctor.
- Research the cost from different hospitals using the negotiated rates/cash prices.
- Try to negotiate the lowest amount the hospital accepts as payment in full.
- Get a Good Faith Estimate with the amount in writing. Always!
- If your care involves multiple clinicians get a Good Faith Estimate from each of them. One by one. Ask your primary physician if other players are involved in your care. The healthcare lobbyist are preventing all of these ancillary prices from being put into one estimate. Until that happens we must go around them.
- If your final bill is greater than $400 from the Good Faith Estimate you can submit an Initiation Notice to HHS using the Patient-Provider Dispute Resolution (PPDR) You must initiate this within 120 days when you received your final bill from doctor or hospital.
- The No Surprises Act, which is the law of the land, protects people when not having traditional health insurance from medical overcharges.
- Consider using a medical sharing community or ICHRA with Bronze Plan for catastrophic coverage. Its much cheaper. Pay cash for non-catastrophic care.
- Ask your dentist if they have a cash savers club. It might be cheaper versus paying dental premiums + out of pocket cost.
- Shop around for braces. Prices vary tremendously between orthodontist.
- Buy generic medications using cash from dirxhealth.com, scriptco.com or local independent pharmacies. Not from big chain retailers.
- Pay cash for lab test at Jason Health. Walk-in Blood Tests in a Lab Near You – Order Online – Jason Health
- Never sign an electronic signature pad. You are forfeiting your consumer protections if you do. Instead write “I did not read this”.
CHECK OUT THESE ADDITIONAL LINKS:
Hospital and Surgery Center Ratings
Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare
How to buy low cost healthcare
Are you a Surgical or Imaging Center Overwhelmed with healthcare and need an advocate?
