Save on Healthcare Costs
How can we keep costs down if we can’t even get an estimate for care? If you’re buying a car, they don’t say, “with this one, you won’t know how much it costs until you check out - Bob McKitri
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How to Shop Around and Save on Health Care
Comparing prices for health-care services can be time-consuming and frustrating. But it’s easier than it used to be—if you know where to look.
Common tests and procedures like ultrasounds, MRIs and arthroscopic surgeries that can be scheduled in advance are the most “shoppable.” Start by asking your doctor if the service being ordered needs to be a specific kind and get the exact CPT code, which is used for billing purposes. Make sure you understand why the test or procedure is being ordered, which can affect the cost. A colonoscopy, for example, could cost an insured patient anywhere from zero to $10,000 out of pocket, depending on whether it’s considered “screening” or “diagnostic,”…
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A New App Could Help You Get Cheaper Medicine
“Our mission is to make medication inexpensive, clearly priced and easy to purchase.” While drug companies tend to reserve their lowest rates for big employers and insurance companies, Blink negotiates similarly low rates by grouping its users’ purchases to make the company look like a large drug buying organization...
Consumers Turn to the Internet to Shop for Cheapest Prices Offered by Hospitals, Physicians, and Clinical Pathology Laboratories
Should anyone be surprised that high insurance deductibles are motivating patients to shop for the best value on all sorts of healthcare services–including medical laboratory tests? One way consumers can shop for the lowest price is to utilize new web sites that allow providers to bid for the patient’s business!
How to Cut Your Health-Care Bill: Pay Cash
Hospitals and other providers increasingly are offering cash prices far below what they charge through insurance.
Is it cheaper to pay cash than to use your insurance? Maybe
Are you paying more because you have health insurance than a cash customer pays? It’s definitely happening for some people.
New Online Tools Offer Path to Lower Drug Prices
Americans have come to rely on their smartphones to help them do seemingly everything, like hailing a taxi and comparing prices of dog food. But when it comes to buying prescription drugs, consumers still find the process maddeningly antiquated. Now, a few entrepreneurs say they are aiming to fundamentally change the way people buy drugs, bringing the industry into the digital age by disclosing the lowest prices for generic prescriptions to allow comparison-shopping.
Prescription Drugs - It Pays to Save Money
The cost of drugs continues to sky rocket. Once you to understand how drug pricing works, you will be able to make some choices that will reduce your overall prescription drug expenses. It pays in the long run!
Saving money: Paying cash for health care even if you’re insured
People are telling us they are paying cash for common medical procedures, even if they’re insured — and getting lower prices. Is this common? Is it legal? Why don’t more people ask for lower cash rates, and why don’t more providers offer?
Share Your Bill, Make Health Costs Transparent in California
Right now, buying health care is like going to the grocery store and finding all the price tags removed. Even worse, bananas might cost you $4 and another shopper $400, and you wouldn’t know which until you handed over your debit card. By collecting information from you and others like you, we can help change that.
Shop Prices for Health Care on the Web
You've probably shopped online and checked the Web when buying everything from cars to even water filters. How about going to the Internet to find the best deals on medical care?
Can Consumers Be Smart Health-Care Shoppers?
Proponents of consumerism in health care say simple steps can save patients a lot of money. Skeptics say the system is too complex for shopping to pay off in most cases.
How to Shop Around and Save on Health Care
Prices can vary greatly for all kinds of health services. Follow these tips to get the best deals.
6 Ways To Protect Yourself Against Rising Health Care Costs
Unfortunately, more so than in recent years, financial anxiety about health care is valid: Costs are up, and they’re up at a clip that’s making industry analysts nervous.
7 Best Websites Built For Healthcare Cost Savings
There are a number of websites that boast efforts to improve healthcare transparency and consumerism, but which ones are helping real patients? We have taken the time to evaluate a number of healthcare consumerism websites and have found these to be the very best.
Clear Health Costs
We’re working to bring transparency to the health-care marketplace. By building a platform that focuses on price information for medical procedures, we are empowering consumers to make informed decisions about the costs of their medical care and coverage
BenefitsCheckUp
Many adults over 55 need help paying for prescription drugs, health care, utilities, and other basic needs. There are over 2,000 federal, state and private benefits programs available to help. But many people don’t know these programs exist or how they can apply. BenefitsCheckUp asks a series of questions to help identify benefits that could save you money and cover the costs of everyday expenses.
Blink Health
Blink Health beats traditional prescription discount options in nearly every way.
FAIR Health
FAIR Health is a national independent, not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to bring transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through comprehensive data products and consumer resources.
GoodRx
Even if you can afford your prescriptions, you're probably paying too much. It costs as little as 1¢ to manufacture a pill, so why do our prescriptions cost $10, $100 or even $1,000?
Healthcare Bluebook
The Healthcare Bluebook is a guide to help you determine Fair Prices in your area for healthcare services.
HealthPricer
HealthPricer is an independent, award-winning product finder and comparison shopping site dedicated to helping you find the best healthcare products from trusted merchants online. We are a free site that helps consumers compare prices on a range of healthcare products including prescription and OTC drugs, contact lenses, supplements and beauty products (more to come).
MediBid
MediBid is an online marketplace which is about quality, choice, and value. Many insurance companies show you no more than whether your doctor is “in-network” or not. MediBid allows you to see the training, education and experience of the doctor before you make your selection. The doctor’s profile, or bid, will usually include specifics such as how many of your procedure they perform per year.
New Choice Health
Save money on common medical procedures.
Surgeo
Surgeo is a logistics service built for patients by surgeons. Surgeo simplifies access to quality care by bringing in highly qualified, peer credentialed surgeons – the surgeons we would use if we needed surgery – and offering their services in flat-cost packages. Surgeo enables you to compare packages by surgeon, cost, and location and get quality, convenience, and choice. Surgeo does not provide healthcare services, make referrals, or negotiate cost.
Turquoise Health
Whether you have insurance or plan to pay cash - find and compare prices...
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
