Health care can get expensive, especially if you or your family experiences injuries or illnesses that frequently land you in the doctor’s office or hospital. If you are looking for ways to spend less on health care, consider these tips.
- Understand how your health plan works. Read your health insurance benefits summary to know what is covered and what your portion of the bill will be for different services and prescriptions. For example, look for your co-pay amounts for different medical services and how much your deductible is.
- Use in-network providers. Your plan will list the providers that are in-network. If you seek care with these doctors and facilities, you will likely pay considerably less than with out-of-network health care providers.
- Only use the emergency room for true emergencies. Heart attacks, broken bones and other serious or life-threatening conditions should prompt an ER visit. Less serious ailments like a minor burn or small cut can probably be treated by first aid care, a visit to an urgent care facility or a call to your doctor.
- Schedule preventive care visits. There is no additional charge for preventive care services if you have health insurance. Examples include annual physicals, vaccinations and cancer screenings, depending on your age. Staying healthy and maintaining awareness of your health conditions are the best way to save on medical care.
- Carefully review your medical bills. Ask for an itemized bill to check that you are only paying for what you received. Clerical errors can happen when recording treatments and calculating your portion of the bill, so look it over to ensure accuracy.
- Open a medical savings account. Save for medical expenses by using a tax advantage medical savings account such as a health savings account, flexible spending account or health reimbursement arrangement.
- Live a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle contributes to lower health care spending. If you eat well and exercise often, you’ll stay healthier and need fewer medical services.
Talk to your human resources team or contact CanopyNation for more information on how your health plan works and how you can maximize its offerings to save money on medical care.