Keeping Healthcare Costs Down

The cost of medical care can be astonishing in the best of times. In a down economy you feel the pain even more—especially as policies change. For example, doctors may require you to pay up-front for services, then collect from your insurance company. Or, they may charge you for the remainder of their fees not fully covered by insurance. Then there are the health insurance companies, which are more prone to question, delay or deny insurance coverage for treatments.

You don’t have to feel helpless in the face of these challenges. Armed with some knowledge and the willingness to argue for your rights, you can keep those costs from killing you.

Be proactive: Before having a procedure, get preauthorization or clearance from the insurance company. This way you know what to expect in terms of coverage and payment responsibility.

Know your rights: Say you see an in-network surgeon at an in-network hospital, but have an out-of-network anesthesiologist. Often insurance companies will reject or limit coverage, claiming that you did not use an in-network provider…