The health care bill may have passed, but we’re still a long way from affordable medicine.
Here are some simple ways that you can save money on your health care:
Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, and get an adequate amount of exercise in order to ensure optimal health. Losing weight and quitting smoking are two major life changes that will have a positive impact on your finances and your health. Be sure to check with your health insurance plan to see if it offers discounts for gym memberships, weight loss programs, and smoking cessation programs.
Save on prescriptions. Buy generic medications whenever possible. Ask your doctor if you can split pills in order to make your prescription last twice as long.
Start a flexible spending account. Flexible spending accounts (which you can usually only set up during open enrollment periods at your place of employment) allow you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses like deductibles, co–pays, and things like prescription eyeglasses. I like these accounts because they make it easy to budget for health care expenses and the tax savings are a plus. Just be sure to spend your entire account each year or you will lose that money.
Question everything. Make sure you really need to go to the doctor, that you really need any medications prescribed to you, and that you really need any tests or procedures being recommended. Pay close attention to your medical bills and insurance claims to make sure they are accurate.
Use the Internet. At my clinic, I can send my doctor a medical question via e-mail and get a response within 2 to 3 days. I can also call the clinic and talk to a nurse at anytime. These two resources have saved me many co-pays because often the questions I have are related to simple medical ailments or changes in prescription medications. This is also a time saver, too. Note: If you need more immediate medical attention, by all means, please go see a doctor ASAP.
What are some ways you save money on health care?
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We saved over 700.00 because we shopped for our MRI – we have insurance but just because you have that insurance does not mean you should just accept that your Dr. will send you to the most economical place for MRI's, Blood drawn, X-rays and such. It is our responsibility to keep as much money in our pockets by practicing due dilligence when the Dr. orders outside tests. Here is what happened to me and how we saved over $700.00! http://ragingbearranch.blogspot.com/2010/01/80000-vs-3930-what-would-you-do.html
i'm not sure i agree with that "make sure you really need to go to the doctor" idea. i had a bruisy bump on my chest that i felt silly about going to the doc for and it turned out to be cancer.
@ Nancy – Very smart move!
@ Carrie – I'm sorry to hear of your cancer. When I said "make sure you really need to go to the doctor" – I'm talking about things like the common cold. So many people rush off to the doctor demanding an antibiotic when all they have is a sniffle that will clear itself up with time. Anything unusual, like your experience, would qualify as a "need to go." situation. I hope that you make a full recovery!
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