{"id":3327,"date":"2017-09-03T10:48:31","date_gmt":"2017-09-03T14:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthadvocate.com\/site\/?p=3327"},"modified":"2020-01-14T17:27:33","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T22:27:33","slug":"6-smart-steps-lowering-medical-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthadvocate.com\/site\/article\/6-smart-steps-lowering-medical-bills","title":{"rendered":"6 Smart Steps for Lowering Your Medical Bills"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Are healthcare debts piling up? Our expert advice can help you cut those costs.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>By Barbara Kiviat | <em>Consumer Reports <\/em><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When dealing with a daunting medical bill, such as an unexpected tab from a hospital stay, one approach many people overlook is negotiating a lower price. Insurance companies ask for (and get) huge discounts on posted rates. So why shouldn\u2019t you?<\/p>\n<p>Negotiating may make more sense than ever, with consumers shouldering the costs of higher deductibles and co-pays. No matter what happens in Washington, this trend is likely to continue.<\/p>\n<p>According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey, 20 percent of those 65 and older struggle to pay medical bills, as do 30 percent of working adults with health insurance. Almost half of Americans surveyed said they\u2019d have trouble paying an unexpected medical bill of $500.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes you can see a big bill coming\u2014if, for instance, you have a multi-\u00adthousand-\u00addollar deductible. But medical bills can also take you by surprise. A 2015 nationally representative Consumer \u00adReports survey of 2,200 adults found that 30 percent of privately insured Americans had received a medical bill where insurance covered less than they expected, leaving them on the hook for the rest.<\/p>\n<p>Whether your bills are the result of a high deductible, an out-of-network charge, a procedure that\u2019s not covered, or lack of insurance, experts say the following could help cut them up to half. (Regulations limit discounts under traditional Medicare, but providers have freer rein with Medicare Advantage and other health plans.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>How To Negotiate Effectively<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It may feel odd to bargain with a healthcare provider. But \u201ca lot of doctors are willing to do it\u2014they understand,\u201d says medical billing advocate Adria Gross, CEO of MedWise Insurance Advocacy. So:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be proactive<\/strong>. For planned surgery, make sure your insurer covers the procedure and facility. Tiering (where consumers pay more for certain facilities) is on the rise. Ask your doctor whether everyone \u00adinvolved takes your insurance, and \u00adrequest a written response; that might help if you later learn that an out-\u00adof-\u00adnetwork provider was used.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ll be paying out of pocket, ask beforehand for a rate in line with what insurance companies pay. \u201cWhen you deal with things that aren\u2019t covered by insurance, there is a tremendous opportunity to discuss the fee and negotiate a discount off the posted charge,\u201d says Abbie Leibowitz, M.D., chief medical officer of Health Advocate Solutions, an advocacy and health assistance company.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do your research.<\/strong> Whether you\u2019re negotiating in advance or after you get a bill, websites such as Fair Health and Healthcare Bluebook can help you determine what insurers pay in your area. \u201cSay, \u2018I know this is the reasonable and customary charge; can we come down a little bit?\u2019\u200a\u201d Gross suggests.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Talk to the right person.<\/strong> If you get a bill, check it to make sure it\u2019s correct. Then ask your \u00adinsurer if some or all will be covered. If not, call the provider who sent the bill. Start with someone in the billing department or patient financial counseling office, but don\u2019t expect that to be your last stop. \u201cThe first response will be, \u2018No, I can\u2019t do anything,\u2019\u200a\u201d Leibowitz says. Keep asking for the manager of the person you\u2019re talking to, until you get to someone with the authority to make a deal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Offer to pay cash.<\/strong> If you can pay most of a bill, offer to do so immediately. Medical advocates say they can often get a 15 to 20 percent \u201cprompt pay\u201d discount this way. \u201cThey are running a business,\u201d says James Napoli, CEO of Medliminal, which works with consumers and companies to reduce medical costs. \u201cAppeal to their sense of a good business decision.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Explain why you can\u2019t pay.<\/strong> \u201cIf you are in retirement on a set income, that will play into it,\u201d Napoli says. The possibility of not getting paid gives healthcare providers a reason to offer a discount or payment plan (ask that it be interest-free). Some states, such as California, require hospitals to provide free or reduced care to consumers within certain income limits. Ask whether yours does.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Enlist help.<\/strong> Many hospitals have patient advocates who can help you understand billing codes and pinpoint errors. Hiring a medical advocate is another option, though it can be expensive. Some take a flat fee, and others charge a percentage of what they save you (25 percent is typical). When considering advocates, ask for their track record and make sure they have experience with complicated medical billing codes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are healthcare debts piling up? Our expert advice can help you cut those costs. By Barbara Kiviat | Consumer Reports When dealing with a daunting medical bill, such as an unexpected tab from a hospital stay, one approach many people overlook is negotiating a lower price. Insurance companies ask for (and get) huge discounts on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":1801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[56,46,59,58,54],"class_list":["post-3327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-health-advocacy","tag-health-advocate","tag-high-deductible","tag-insurance","tag-medical-bills"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>6 Smart Steps for Lowering Your Medical Bills | Health Advocate<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to negotiate medical bills to save on healthcare costs. 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