Healthcare Costs: Can We Lower Them?

Personally, our healthcare costs are so far up over $2,000 from 2007 and $3,100 from 2006. How can that be? In 2006 my husband fought cancer and our spending is more than doubled this year?!?!

It is absolutely insane. I wonder about the families that don’t have healthcare coverage or are on limited income. What do they do? How do they make it? How do they get through a health crisis?

It has been estimated that a half-million people file for bankruptcy each year due to medical costs/bills.

What can we do? According to AARP in their July-August 2008 magazine we need to stand up and let our legislature know that we need healthcare reform. They also said that we consumers need to be wiser shoppers when it comes to our doctors and healthcare providers. But the biggest culprit to increase cost in healthcare expenses is the vast number of dollars wasted on paper pushing. The articled noted that we pay twice as much than Canada in administrative costs and that by changing the way we are billed, insurance companies are billed, etc. we could save $360 billion dollars each year.  Now let’s account that saving to families, it would be a start.

But what other practical approaches can we take to save money on healthcare costs. No matter what our income level there are services out that that we can all utilize at little if any costs. Health Fairs many types of organization offer these, social service organizations, towns, libraries, park districts, etc. At a health fair you can typically expect to get free screenings, complementary vitamins and supplements, immunizations and more. These are not generally for just low income. But those of us going through financial challenges should look into Mobile Health Clinics and our local health departments for free or greatly discounted health services.

Some colleges and universities offer free or greatly discounted services such as dental care exams, minor dental work, check ups, x-rays, etc. provided by their students, whom are supervised and check by a licensed dental professional. Same is true for other medical services.

Some cost cutters will tell you to shop around and do comparison shopping for doctors as you do for other products and services. The only thing, here is that I like my doctor, I’ve been going to the same one for almost 20 years. Maybe I can talk to him about prevailing local average charges for his services.  Look into a Healthcare Savings Program in your community, these programs negotiate better prices on behalf of their members which equates to savings for you.

Ask for samples of medication to help with prescription costs also make sure to ask your doctor for generic or other substitutes for needed medication. Shop at a drug store that offers discounts such as those touted in the media from Costco. Shop on line and utilize mail in prescription programs through your insurance company.

A colleague has shared that she has spent less than $100 a year on healthcare costs for almost ten years. She uses natural remedies, watches her diet, drinks alcohol in moderation, walks three miles 4 days a week. When she does start to feel under the weather she reaches for her “Nutritional Healing” book. She claims that by just following the suggestion for those ailments you may have can greatly reduce the onset of them and in some cases prevent them all together.

Recently I read a story about a mother who did not take her child in for annual preventive dental care, which by the way was covered 100% by insurance, for 3-4 years, now she has a bill of over $1,000 for root canal’s. Preventive medicine does work to keep you healthy and protect your pocket book. Keep up on annual check ups for physical, dental, eyes, etc.

Many hospitals and some bigger medical practices offer programs that help to cover your out of pocket in some cases they will just take the covered amount and waive the difference you would have had to pay. If you don’t have insurance ask your doctor if he will take the negotiated amount that he/she agrees to with insurance companies. I have heard of many practices doing this. We are all hurting, gas prices are at all time highs, food is on the rise, pay raises are down if given at all, talk to your healthcare professional let them know you could use some help or the very least some guidance on how you can cut down on health care costs.