Last Updated on January 29, 2021
Medical expenses are a major concern for millions of working-class American families. And rightfully so. Many people are either massively underinsured or don’t have any health insurance whatsoever. This means that if they get sick or are involved in some kind of accident, they may have to pay a fortune to receive the medical care they need – health care services can be really, really overpriced in the US. For many, the only option they have is to incur a huge debt. Medical billing is complex and confusing by design. And it will absolutely have a huge impact on your budget or savings account if you don’t have adequate health insurance coverage. But you should know that an expensive medical bill is not a debt sentence. There are a few strategies to reduce medical bills. So let’s find out more about them.
7. Make sure to always use in-network health care facilities and services
In-network is a term used to describe all the doctors, labs, hospitals, or any other health care service covered by a certain health insurance plan. Therefore, getting in-network medical assistance is essential to take advantage of your health insurance and reduce your medical bills – after all, that’s why you are paying for it every month. It’s a good idea to know exactly which hospitals and health services in your area are covered by your health insurance plan. Some health insurance companies also offer plans that cover the majority of your bill if you ever need to seek out-of-network assistance due to an emergency. If you have any uncertainties or questions, always ask the health care provider before an appointment.
6. Check your medical bill for errors
This is the first thing you should do when you get your medical bill. Billing mistakes are so common that you should just assume there’s at least one on your medical bill – according to health insurance experts, 4 out of every 5 medical bills in the United States have some kind of error. More often than not, these errors are pretty obvious: duplicate charges for the same item, wrong prices, and even wrong items or procedures are some of the most frequent inconsistencies. Look for them carefully. If you think the price charged is too high and the service and items are not properly categorized and detailed, you can ask the medical billing services for a manual review.
