If you have had trouble with pricing from your doctors or hospitals, the place to go is HealthcareBlueBook.com. If you have the fortune of knowing about a procedure before you have it done, you can use this website to prepare for the actual costs. Search for the procedure, then enter your zip code to customize your local pricing, then print out the pricing agreement to take to your doctor and hospital to guarantee your pricing. For many, insured and uninsured, medical costs are constant concern. With as many as 16% of Americans unable to afford their medical bills, according to Consumer Reports, making sure you are paying a reasonable rate is an important way to manage the costs of your medical expenses. With tools such as the Healthcare Blue Book, researching and haggling your medical pricing is now a legitimate practice that helps you make sure you are paying a fair price for your healthcare.
Understanding your insurance terms and being able to plan for your costs will help you take charge of your medical expenses. In most states, it’s mandatory that your medical providers allow you to set up a payment plan to pay off your bill, with as little as $5 a month. You must call your medical provider in order to set up this payment plan. Certain insurances allow payment based on what is reasonable and customary, leaving you too foot the difference if your medical provider charges above the reasonable price deemed by your insurance. This is where the Healthcare Blue Book comes in handy, you can get your medical provider to agree to a reasonable cost before performing the procedure, allowing your out of pocket costs to remain lower. Speak with your insurance provider for the terms of your insurance including out of network costs, co-insurance, and reasonable and customary terms.