tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512053791946007758.post2768737173024084663..comments2023-05-20T06:54:40.751-04:00Comments on Coupon Saving Game: Money Saving Tip! - A Guide to Medical ExpensesTeresa & Julie-Andihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461822042133323074noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512053791946007758.post-68682889711451340832009-06-06T07:16:16.247-04:002009-06-06T07:16:16.247-04:00Thanks for allowing me to do this post!
When my...Thanks for allowing me to do this post! <br /><br />When my grandmother was alive, I wasn't aware of all of these programs to help her with her medical costs, and she needed it badly. I'm considering starting a blog dedicated to helping people with medical care costs. The county health departments are so flooded that it's very difficult for people in our area to obtain any kind of help, so they just go without and it's heartbreaking. Even those with Medicare coverage are stuck paying 20% of their bill unless they can afford a secondary insurance, and that 20% can be thousands of dollars.Michael and Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05811899330944427814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512053791946007758.post-76949953199677543962009-06-05T14:20:02.065-04:002009-06-05T14:20:02.065-04:00We dn't have insurance. One of the things that...We dn't have insurance. One of the things that has helped us the most is to ask for the uninsured discount. Sometimes it isn't mcuh--only 10% off if you pay it all off within a month. This doesn't always work for us, of course, as hospital bills can be large. Doctors have sometimes given us a discounted rate if we have asked for it. The imporant thing is to ask. <br /><br />If you're in the hospital, and you might be able to go home, check out earlier rather than later. Each room you are in is an extra charge, and if you're there more than 24 hours, the rate goes up tremendously. <br /><br />Also, if you don't have insurance, and you want to have your children immunized, the local health department will do it for much less (about $10 a shot here, compared to $80 per visit at the doctor's office plue $40 per shot).<br /><br />Getting insurance for a large family when you are self-employed is difficult. So far, even with three hospital visits in the last three years, it has been less money to pay for the bills than it would have cost us to have paid for the insurance (plus we would have had co-pays on top of that). <br /><br />I would love to have major catastrophe insurance, but at the rate of $20,000 a year (and not one will cover childbirth expenses) with a $10,000 deductible, it's just not feasible.The Prudent Homemakerhttp://www.theprudenthomemaker.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512053791946007758.post-91668384433227401562009-06-05T09:53:39.084-04:002009-06-05T09:53:39.084-04:00I am underinsured. Ugh. Believe it or not sometime...I am underinsured. Ugh. Believe it or not sometimes it is cheaper to pay the out of pocket rate (you mention this in your blog) that is given to the uninsured than it is to pay the co pay as insured patient. For example before I was insured I paid $50 for a doctor's visit and after we got insurance I had an $80 copay because they charge so much more if you have insurance. In normal cases it doesn't affect the patient because good or decent insurance will cover most of it, but not if you have crappy insurance. I at least count on the fact that if there is a major emergency it will pay off.Zionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11180417908209217887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512053791946007758.post-48429371654262377882009-06-05T08:10:21.201-04:002009-06-05T08:10:21.201-04:00Those are all good tips. I always, always ask my ...Those are all good tips. I always, <b>always</b> ask my doctor for the cheapest generic medicine that will be effective.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04423802244845816945noreply@blogger.com