As consumers of health care suffer higher deductibles and reduced insurance benefits, it is always important to understand and even negotiate prices before treatment.
Dr. Kathryn Stewart, medical director of care management at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago said, patients can and should be more proactive to find the best prices for their services.
"Hospital costs are probably 40 to 50% of what their (list price) will be charged," she said. But when it comes to legislation, is "Most hospitals are happy to break even or have some advantage. "
Is there enough space to negotiate and reduce your tax-free.
1. Ask your doctor, your allies are
If you are shopping for medical services, you probably have a primary care physician who try the service primarily directed.
"You need a diagnosis from someone," said Stewart. "So, this person will be your lawyer."
Stewart advises patients, their doctors, where are the best hospitals are in the recommended procedure and the centers work with patients asking to drop out of pocket expenses, and even provide for their help in this system, the Ministry of Finance communication.
"If the hospital where a doctor, the doctor approached recognizes the patient's name, I think (the patient) could be anywhere in the hospital. Let's say I have a patient in my practice, it has a very high deductible (insurance) plans, and they need to undergo a hysterectomy (I) could tell the finance and approach. "I have these patients, but not (enough) insurance and they can not afford to pay a high price but they can not afford to pay. Can you work with them? "
2. Compare the costs of using the CPT code
Although your doctor may be willing to engage in conversation with the hospital funding, you can always expect to have several conversations with them on their own. Before calling, make sure the "current procedural terminology code, or CPT for the procedure you are looking for.
"CPT is the technical term for the billing code. "This is a five-digit number with which the method statement, Jane Cooper, president and CEO of Patient Care, a company promoting health in Milwaukee said.
Cooper, says your doctor or physician practice, you can enter the code and the number is the same in hospitals. With this code, you can compare several medical centers, prices for the same process.
3. Find friends in the billing department
to ask when calling different medical centers, for the billing department and ask them what they charge you for the procedure.
"You should be able to get (price) information, by stubbornly around 80% of the time," said Cooper. "If the representative will give you the answer you need, ask the manager. Again and again asked for the manager. "
Your success in this area can help determine if you have finally decided to use this option for your treatment.
"If the hospital or doctor will not tell you what they charge, so my advice would be to go to another doctor or hospital," said Cooper.
4. Negotiate lower prices and payment terms
If you're lucky enough to comparative information and a replacement hospital is cheaper to go to the hospital of origin to see if they match the lower rate. If all hospitals can get for free at a similar level, try to negotiate a discount with one of them.
Remember that hospitals ready to deal with people who have serious financial problems at work. If you need to have completed a process, but we believe that there is no way to ask to pay the bill, if the hospital is ready to develop a payment plan.
"Many hospitals have inadequate instructions (some) people," said Stewart. "They have sliding scales and fee (to be arranged in a position) different payment methods."
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