Control increasing medical costs by shopping for bargains

If there’s one thing to count on, it's that health care costs will continue to rise. A better price on just about anything could be found. All it takes is the time required for a little research. As insurance companies pull back on benefits and increase co-payments, adopting a horse-trading philosophy for selecting doctors and hospitals can result in significant savings. Post resource – Reduce health care costs by shopping around for the best price by Personal Money Store.

Don't take high health care costs

Generally you don't talk about how much health care costs when at a doctor. This is anytime you are being treated really. As outlined by the new York Times, that isn't the case anymore. It has changed. According to the Center for Studying Health System Change, 15 percent of people younger than 65 are spending more than 5 percent of their annual income on health care costs. As they pay more out-of-pocket, more people aren’t obediently accepting what appear to be outrageous medical costs and are looking for a better price.

Health care costs are confusing at times

When it comes to health care costs, Michael Schroeder at Angie’s List said even experts get confused. Health care providers and insurance companies are in a battle in which doctors and hospitals make an effort to mark prices up and insurers try to mark prices down. The Medicare reimbursement standards are what insurance companies will rely on. One health care provider admit to billing higher than Medicare in order to get a higher profit. This is what Schroeder reports. The support given to those uninsured is little. The insurance companies take down the cost and it hurts them.

How to negotiate a better price

Online tools typically are helpful when trying to discover doctors and hospitals that fit your needs. A search engine will help you probably the most, the Los Angeles Times explains. "Cost of a colonoscopy" had been what Kathy Kristof of the Times typed into Google. About 200,000 matches came up. Sites that showed up included PriceDoc.com, MyMedicalCosts.com and HealthCareBlueBook.com. Having this info is really helpful when it comes to trying to negotiate. You can get a better deal if you know the facts about your procedure and its costs.

Articles cited

New York Times

nytimes.com/2009/11/28/health/28patient.html?_r=1&ref=health

Angie’s List

angieslist.com/angieslist/visitor/recentbuzz.aspx

Los Angeles Times

latimes.com/health/healthcare/la-fi-perfin-20101024,0,4751926.column