Money for Medicine: Finding Ways to Afford Your Health Care

Everyone wants to know their health will be taken care of. Unfortunately, it can be expensive sometimes. Luckily there are ways you can still afford your health care without having to break the bank. Here are some tips on how to do so.

Use Health Insurance

Everyone should have some form of health insurance, and it doesn’t have to be a crazy expensive one either. If you don't have any yet, get on the internet and look up health insurance companies in your area. 

Many offer plans for really cheap, like non obamacare health insurance, which was created for those without pre-existing medical conditions and who don’t engage in risky behaviors such as drugs. Look into the options out there and you will be sure to find something that works for your budget.

Take Advantage of Free Government Programs

Many programs exist that can help make it possible for you to afford healthcare. A few examples would include programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and even the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare). 

Trying to handle medical issues without some form of healthcare, even government assisted ones, can often make your bills much, much higher and close more expensive treatment options to you. It’s better to make sure you have some kind of avenue towards healthcare than none at all.

Ask about Payment Plans

If you do not qualify for any of the programs mentioned, don't forget to ask if there is a payment plan option available to you. Many hospitals offer this and it can make all the difference in continuing your health care needs. You might even be able to set up a monthly payment that you can afford.

Go to a Free Clinic or Find a Low-Cost Option

If you're in a bind and just can not seem to find any other options available, there is always the option of going to a free or low-cost clinic. 

These clinics will either have you pay nothing at all or a small fee (very small compared to regular clinics and doctor’s offices) for treatment. A simple internet search should tell you if there are any nearby, as they’re all largely community-based.

Look Into Alternative Medicine

A lot of health care options exist that are much less expensive than the normal doctors and hospitals you find in your area. Acupuncture, chiropractors, homeopathic medicine, herbal remedies; there are lots of things you can try before running to the doctor for everything. If this is an option available to you, maybe give it a shot.

If you are financially struggling, these options might be your best bet for taking care of medical needs. Look into them or ask about payment plans to see which ones work best for you.

Healthcare for the New Era

Industries that have been around for a long time have a hard time changing. The more established and complicated they are, the harder time they have jiving with the modern consumer.

Healthcare is one of those behemoths that ruffles the feathers of even the most conservative millennial. 

It stands in direct opposition to a million principles that we hold dear. It often sends people into debt because of its high cost. It throws its weight around with “trust me, I’m a doctor” instead of valuing transparency and patient-centric care. 

It devalues alternative options and promotes itself as the single authority when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.

Now, I’d like to make one distinction: I’m not saying that the healthcare industry is bad at adjusting to new procedures and treatment options. 

In fact, it’s one of the fastest-moving fields in the world when it comes to incorporating new developments. However, the industry itself and how it’s run as a business… that’s a ponderously slow beast that will only change its ways under extreme duress.

However, big changes are on the horizon for the healthcare industry. With a new era of consumers, healthcare industries are finding themselves faced with the “evolve or die” ultimatum. 

Millennials, as the new consumer force, are changing the way that healthcare does business.

Reasons the Healthcare Industry Has to Change

They have less personnel and less leaders: One major change that the healthcare industry is facing is an extreme shortage of qualified leaders. 

The modern economy has made a generation of debt-averse students. In a rapidly changing field, students no longer feel confident of the ability to quickly pay off the crippling debts that can get accrued in med school. 

While technology will answer many needs for more helping hands, it’s also true that more individuals will have the power to make waves in an increasingly sparse industry.

It’s just too expensive: With or without insurance, patients are increasingly appalled by the expenses that they have to face from just a checkup or a routine procedure. 

A friend of mine spent two years just paying off her appendectomy… and she’s a very financially responsible individual! 

While most people trust doctors, they also don’t believe that the cost is usually worth the service, and more and more people are looking for manageable options that will help them maintain health.

Technology is changing how we shop: A decade or two ago, no one would think to check out online reviews before choosing a primary care physician. 

Now, it’s unthinkable to many to accept a doctor without first checking out their online rating. The internet gives us the power to explore our options, and make informed decisions about who will be conducting our care. 

Technology is also changing how we’re able to monitor and direct our own health. Today, millions of people use wearable devices to determine how they’re doing with diet, exercise, and sleep. 

Not only does this allow for more specialized health care, but it also gives us a wider range of data to do research from and develop more effective care.

Some Changes You Can Expect Within Your Lifetime

1: More Openness to Holistic Care

An increasingly connected world means that we’re no longer stuck inside a narrow Westernized view. 

Information exchanges across cultural and geopolitical barriers make patients more curious about alternative treatments, and force western medicine to acknowledge that it doesn’t have the market cornered on healthcare. 

Although basic methodology will continue the same, more and more research will look into care that focuses on the well-being of the entire body, instead of a narrow focus. 

Part of the reason that we’ll see more and more of this is because integrated healthcare works. We know very well that mental health has a bearing on physical health, and that treating the body is just a part of treating the overall person.

2: Increasingly Preventive Care

More and more, medical education programs are requiring nutrition courses because we’re acknowledging that what we eat and do daily helps to determine our health. 

With America’s greatest health challenges being diseases like diabetes and heart disease that are easily preventable, in many cases, with changes in diet and exercise, more and more physicians are seeing the need for teaching patients personal care habits that will improve health instead of diagnosing and dosing.

This can be seen as a part of the new generation’s desire to be more involved in care, and to opt for cheaper routes. 

Most people will choose a new self-care regime that they can control over the knife any day. Now, I know that in a lot of my statements I sound like I’m pitting myself against the old order of doctors and health professionals, but I’m positive that I’m on the same side as most professionals when I say that this can only be a move in the right direction.

3: More Connectedness

Technology and communication options that we have today means that no one is an island. Online forums and texts mean that patients are well-informed about their health, and that connecting with others who confront the same challenges is easy. 

Since shutting down WebMD isn’t really an option, professionals have no choice but to enter the conversation instead. 

We’re seeing more and more physicians with an online presence who connect with patients online and do their best to dispel myths that are floating around out there.

An immediate consequence that we see of this inter-connectedness is that many hospitals are opening up device-enabled communication, instead of having all patients come into the office for care. 

Patients are able to connect with professionals from their own home.

What changes do you see coming up in the healthcare industry? Which ones are you most excited for?

More Than You Can Chew: Tips for Paying Medical Bills

A large medical or dental bill that is more than you can chew is so discouraging. When presented with a super-sized medical bill, it is possible to negotiate with the hospital, doctor, or dentist providing services. The results may be instant, or take some time to achieve, but do not despair. Here are tips for paying medical bills and keeping on top of your finances when the unexpected occurs.

Ask for a Discount Before Receiving a Medical Bill

Ask the doctor, hospital, dentist, or oral surgeon for a discount prior to the service if possible. Tell the provider that you do not have health or dental insurance, or any relevant financial circumstances. For example, if unemployed, living on a small fixed income, or anything else that affects the ability to pay, discuss this before services are rendered. Many providers and health care facilities offer financial services assistance to those in need. Unfortunately, unless the patient informs his or her doctor or institution about financial circumstances, the provider bills without consideration.

Offer to Settle the Outstanding Bill Immediately

When requesting a discount for services, do not accept the provider's initial rejection as the final word. The doctor or dentist needs office cash flow. Offer to pay the debt in full, at the reduced price offered, immediately. Pay the bill with a cashier's check or in cash, immediately after offering to pay the discounted rate. Write “paid in full” on a cashier's check and request a receive stating that the debt is paid when settling in cash.

How to Pay Older Medical Bills

Sometimes the patient's financial condition changes quickly, and he or she may become unemployed shortly after receiving expensive medical or dental services. It is still possible to ask the provider or hospital for a discount. In this instance, contact the doctor, dentist, hospital, or medical facility as quickly as possible to discuss the circumstances. If months have passed since the services were provided, look up the fair price for the services received. Use this information to negotiate a discount. Insurance companies use similar information to negotiate a better price on their subscribers' services.

Arrange a Payment Plan

Occasionally, a doctor, dentist, or hospital will demand payment in full. In this scenario, politely explain your financial circumstances, and request a payment plan. Never provide a credit card or offer to pay the amount owed on a credit card. This action subjects the financially-strapped individual to interest charges required to finance the medical bill. Instead, offer an affordable payment amount. Then, make the payments as agreed.

Pay as Agreed

When offering the provider a discount, or requesting a payment plan over a certain period of months or years, keep your word. Never offer a payment plan that is more than you can afford because this puts personal credit and ultimate settlement of the debt at risk. To make payments on a payment plan as agreed, consider writing checks for each month's payment in advance. Place each check into an addressed envelope, then place each ready to send payment in a calendar file.

Emergency Medical Bills

In some situations, such as an emergency, it is impossible to ask for discounted services. For example, an individual is in a car accident, and an emergency vehicle or ambulance takes him to the hospital to receive urgent care. In such an instance, the individual or his family should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Jeffery C. Metler, who has had experience in the field says medical bills, rehabilitation services, lost wages, and the cost to repair a vehicle can all be payed with the help of a personal injury attorney. Never interact with the at-fault driver's insurance company without the benefit of a personal injury attorney on your side.

When it comes to your health, you need the best care possible, and often it comes at a steep price. Don't let your current situation dictate your health. Take action and come up with a way to pay off the debt yourself. Use these tips to get started and improve your situation today.

What Should Be Covered by Health Insurance Policy

Many people are confused and puzzled when looking for health insurance policy and repeatedly asking themselves what should be and should not be covered by the policy they are going to buy in order to save and not to misuse the money they worked hard for in an insurance plan. As a result of this, many people always fall in the marketing strategies of professional brokers and unconsciously sign up on a contract that is not very helpful to their needs. 

Health insurance is a type of insurance which minimizes our medical expenses whenever we visit a doctor for regular check up or even when we are hospitalized due to sickness or other unforeseen serious health condition. The efficiency of having this insurance policy is really helpful to a lot of health insurance policy holders and as result of this, it has become one of the important investments that we should acquire in order to protect ourselves, bank accounts and our loved ones. 

Some important coverage of health insurance policy you should see in a deal or contract is listed below and if you don’t see all of these in your contract, better question your insurance agent why this one is not included in your policy. 

Hospital confinement 

Emergency can occur anytime and may unexpectedly happen if you are not conscious about your health condition. If your health condition is not going well, the chances of being hospitalized is higher and if you are not prepared of this possibility, you may suffer from medical expenses due to your poor health condition. 

Reasons for hospital confinement: 

• Patient needs doctor’s observation during recovery procedure 
• Patient needs to utilize medical equipment for recovery 
• Patient needs to undergo medical exams for health condition monitoring 

Medical Operation 

Everyone is aware that having a medical operation is really expensive and we should always have enough savings in order to have operation or otherwise, our health or physical condition will not be treated properly and we may have to continue suffering from this unfortunate condition. 

Types of medical operation: 

• Surgical Procedure 
• Replacement of broken bones 
• internal Organ Replacement 

Therapy and physical rehabilitation 

Another important coverage of health insurance is medication. It will be pain in the neck if we don’t have spare budget to provide the prescription drugs by our doctors to treat the pain and illness that we are experiencing especially if the required medicine to intake is high-priced and in a critical situation like this, we cannot afford to miss any required medicine in order to keep our body taken care of.

 
Having a health insurance policy is really necessary for us and we should not pay attention on our monthly premium and overall cost of our health insurance policy since we can have discounts especially if you have good medical records and in good health condition. We should always keep in mind that the main purpose of health insurance is to save us from unexpected medical expenses that may occur due to accidents, physical injuries and many more. 

Bio: 
Alberta Smith, an avid writer interested in insurance industry, regularly contributes to a number of online resources to help those who are looking for information about insurance services.