How to Reduce Medical Bills
Whether or not you have health insurance, there may be a time when medical bills are far more than you can handle, so it makes sense to consider ways to have them reduced. For example, if you have no insurance and need a doctor's care, you are likely to be charged full price for seeing him. There's no discount for you, even though the physician is obliged to reduce his rate to an insurance company or to Medicare if you were covered by them. Here are some ways that you can reduce the cost of medical care.
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Instructions
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Go to the doctor's office or to the hospital where the services were rendered and bring cash. For openers, agree to settle your bill for 25 percent less than the amount you owe. Most medical providers want to avoid a collection issue because they might end up with nothing. And if you weave in the fact that you are facing difficulty, your chances of being successful will be increased.
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If you have no medical insurance, find out what the physician would bill an insurance carrier if you were covered. Ideally before the procedure is rendered, ask the office staff to provide you with the so-called CPT code, or Current Procedural Terminology. That is a term used by all health insurance carriers, both private and Medicare, to classify most procedures. Go to the American Medical Association website and find out what the procedure is worth when it is billed to a health insurance carrier, then offer to pay that discounted amount.
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If your income barely covers the essentials for your family, point out that fact to the physician. For example, if you have bill for a procedure that is several thousand dollars, tell the physician that it will pose a major hardship for your family. In many cases, he will see fit to reduce your bill.
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Consider paying for the procedure before it is rendered. Many doctors will make a price concession because they know that they will be paid before the billing is sent. Use the same strategy at the hospital, because it has flexibility to alter what will be billed. Also, it wants to avoid a collection issue early in the process. The only downside of this strategy is that you will not benefit from whatever installment payment options that may be offered.
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