Prescription medications can be frighteningly expensive, even with insurance coverage. Have you ever suffered sticker shock? It’s happened to me on several occasions, including a co-pay of $450 for a medication we didn’t even end up using! These high prescription medication prices are hurting our collective health and our wallets. How widespread and serious is […]
Archive | Money Issues
Tips for Handling Medical Bills
As if dealing with an illness or injury isn’t stressful enough, handling the bills and insurance paperwork can add an additional layer of stress to your life. Maybe the doctor’s office or hospital sent you a bill with a mistake. Or maybe your insurance company unexpectedly denied your claim. No matter your situation, it’s important […]
NeedyMeds Helps Patients Save Money on Medications and Other Healthcare Expenses
This is a guest post written by NeedyMeds, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping patients save money on medications and other healthcare expenses. Every day more and more Americans are struggling to cover their medication costs. As a result, many must make difficult choices between paying for food, housing, or prescriptions. Certainly, uninsured Americans face […]
How to Shop Around for Healthcare Pricing
This post is the 2nd of a two-part series. The first post covers the benefits of shopping around for healthcare pricing, how often patients shop around, and what prevents patients from comparison shopping. This blog covers how to shop around for healthcare pricing. Can you find out prices from hospitals and providers before you get […]
Can You Comparison Shop for Healthcare Services? Yes, and You Should!
No one wants to waste money. We shop around for the best price for a car, a TV and other big-ticket items. Some of us even drive out of our way to save a few dollars on groceries or gas. However, most of us don’t think about medical expenses that way. But you might waste […]
Reduce Your Healthcare Expenses
Last week’s blog post covered how the US is the top spender in healthcare, yet Americans are not the healthiest population. A recent survey found that 85% of patients in the US feel care quality has not improved even though they are spending more on healthcare. Medical bills have frequently been cited as the number […]
Why Does the US Spend So Much on Healthcare? Are People in the US Healthier?
A good portion of US citizens are worried about their healthcare costs, prompting many to delay or skip tests, treatments and medications. Since we know how high our own medical bills are, it’s not surprising to learn that in 2016 the US spent nearly twice as much on healthcare as 10 other high-income countries. Why […]
The High Cost of Healthcare is Keeping Patients from Seeking Care
It goes without saying that if you have a serious illness, or are dealing with a chronic illness, it will be harder for you to improve, or even maintain, your health if you cannot afford doctor visits, medications, tests and other healthcare expenses. Unfortunately, this is happening all too often in the US as many […]
Why are Ambulance Rides so Expensive?
It’s never a good thing when you, or a loved one, needs an ambulance. Whether it’s a car accident or a heart attack, it’s usually a scary event that prompts you to call 911. EMTs save our lives. But at what cost? Why are ambulance rides so expensive? I know from personal experience that when […]
Are High Deductible Health Plans Keeping Patients From Getting Care?
No one likes to waste money. And most of us are price conscious. We shop around, check the internet, and ask friends for advice, all in an effort to get the best price on the right product for our needs. However, when it comes to medical expenses, is it wise to forego appointments, medications and […]