Helpful Tips for Handling Medical Bills

A recent study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health said that of the 83 percent of participants who had health insurance, nearly 27 percent of them had difficulty paying their medical bills.  Common reasons for people not paying medical bills include confusion about what exactly they’re responsible for owing  ), and/or they can’t afford the larger than expected price tag.

Fortunately, there are several ways you can avoid incurring large medical bills. Health Advocate Inc., an advocacy and assistance company that helps people navigate the healthcare system, offers the following tips:

Be informed.  Know the details of what your health insurance plan covers.  Being insured does not always mean that all of your medical costs are covered. Ask your insurer what kind of out-of-pocket expenses you can expect.

How Health Advocate can help: A Personal Health Advocate will research your insurance policy and determine your out-of-pocket costs for doctor visits, medical procedures, lab work, etc.  

Verify that the provider you choose is “in-network.”  Make sure that any labs your provider may use for various tests are also considered in-network.  If the provider and/or the lab and facility the provider is using are in-network, your medical bills will be less costly than out-of-network labs/facilities.

How Health Advocate can help: If you’re looking for an “in-network” provider, your Personal Health Advocate can locate one in your area. Your Personal Health Advocate can even schedule an appointment for you and transfer your medical records.

Do your homework. Costs for medical procedures can vary dramatically, depending on the doctor and facility where they are performed. For example, an MRI at a large teaching hospital is likely to be more costly than having the very same procedure done at a stand-alone facility. Start by researching different hospitals and facilities to comparison-shop.

How Health Advocate can help: Using Health Advocate’s pricing tool, Health Cost Estimator (HCE), your Personal Health Advocate can provide you with a list of providers in your zip code and the estimated cost of the procedure. You can also access Health Cost Estimator yourself. Simply go to your member website (HealthAdvocate.com/members) or download our FREE mobile app (from Apple or Google Play) and access HCE right on your tablet or smartphone! Plus, one touch connects you to a Personal Health Advocate for one-on-one help.

Read your bill carefully. Ask for an itemized bill. This could help you spot major errors on your bills.  For example, does the bill indicate that you received a treatment or procedure that you didn’t actually receive?  Are you being charged twice? A Consumer Reports Health survey said that 80 percent of medical bills have errors.

How Health Advocate can help: A Personal Health Advocate can check for errors on your bill and if found, can help resolve the problem.    

Talk to your doctor. Providers consider your financial status when recommending care. Let them know that costs are important to you. Discuss a payment plan with your physician.

How Health Advocate can help: If you are having a difficult time paying a doctor bill, your Personal Health Advocate can work out an agreement with your provider, such as an setting up a payment plan on your behalf.

Remember, if you are a Health Advocate member, you can reach out to us for help.  Our Personal Health Advocates can estimate costs of common treatments and procedures, locate in-network doctors, resolve insurance claims, assist with correcting medical billing errors, and much more. 

Worried about big medical bills? Try these handy tips

As healthcare costs rise, many people are swamped with medical bills and other health expenses. While most have insurance, larger deductibles, copays and other costs can still add up to big bucks.

In a study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health, of the 83 percent of participants who had health insurance, nearly 27 percent of them said they had difficulty paying their medical bills.

Nowadays it’s crucial to be a smart and savvy healthcare shopper, especially in these tough economic times. What many don’t realize is that there are several ways to take control and lower your healthcare costs:

• Do your homework.  Costs for medical procedures can vary dramatically, depending on the facility where they are performed. You can research different hospitals and facilities to comparison-shop prices for procedures. Just reviewing and comparing costs is one important step in potentially saving money and making the best use of your healthcare dollar.
• Always stay in-network.  When possible, stick with a doctor under your insurance plan. Using an in-network provider will help you to avoid large out-of-pocket charges.
• Talk to your doctor.  Providers consider your financial status when recommending care. Let them know the costs are important to you. Discuss a payment plan with your physician. A whopping 61 percent of adults who asked their doctor for a discount got one.
• You got charged.  Insurance will not cover the entire cost of the medical procedure you received if the provider is not in your preferred network leaving you with large out-of-pocket expenses. Some providers will give you a lower rate if you pay in cash. You can also make arrangements with the billing department. They may discount what you owe or work with you to make monthly payment arrangements.
• Look out for errors.  According to Consumer Reports Health, 80 percent of medical bills have errors. Some common errors include: incorrect coding, wrong names, addresses, birth dates and social security numbers. Also make sure you are only being billed for the treatment you received.
• Don't give up.  Dispute any charges you think you should not have to pay. Work with the provider’s billing department until you come up with a resolution.
• Get a third party involved.  It doesn’t hurt to get help from a health advocate. They can help you talk to the insurance company and walk you through an appeal process if necessary.

The important thing to remember is to be an informed patient. If you find that you need help, you can always consult a Health Advocate Personal Health Advocate who can help you locate providers, negotiate on your behalf, identify errors on medical bills, compare costs for procedures, file an appeal (if warranted), and much more . If you are not a Health Advocate member, you can still get help. Just call and speak to an advocate through our direct-to-consumer division Health Proponent.

Should you get a mammogram?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an excellent time to discuss why having a mammogram is important for women. A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast that is used to check for breast cancer.

Studies have shown that mammograms reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer for women ages 40 to 74, especially for women over age 50. All women over the age of 40 who are at average risk should have a mammogram every year. High risk factors can include having a mother, sister, or daughter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Having dense breast tissue, early menstruation or late menopause, and other factors could put you at a somewhat higher risk of breast cancer. Only your doctor can determine whether your risk of breast cancer is higher than average, so be sure to consult with your doctor. If you are under 40 and have a higher risk of breast cancer, talk to your doctor about whether having a mammogram earlier is right for you; your doctor may recommend that if you are at high risk, get a yearly mammogram starting at age 30. The CDC says that it is possible for a mammogram to detect breast cancer up to three years before it can actually be felt. If breast cancer is detected early, treatment can be started earlier in the disease.

Sometimes women don't get a mammogram because they don't think it's necessary, they think they don't have time in their busy schedule to get one, they don't know how much it costs or if it's covered by their insurance, they don't have a history of breast cancer in their family, or they're scared to get a mammogram done. If you’ve been avoiding having a mammogram done for any reason, talk to your doctor about your concerns. Mammograms save lives, so please don’t wait—talk to your doctor to find out if you should be screened.

If you have access to an advocacy service such as Health Advocate through your employer, you can call that service to verify that your insurance benefits cover mammograms. Under the Affordable Care Act, mammograms and other preventive screenings are covered with no cost sharing for new health plans. An advocate can also find a doctor for you, set up an appointment for you to get a mammogram, and more.

Want to learn more? Check out the links below for resources on mammograms and breast cancer:

• The Susan G. Komen website has a comprehensive guide to mammograms--including types of mammograms, where mammograms are performed, when to expect to have your results back, and more.
• Learn about mammograms at Cancer.gov. 
• The CDC's breast cancer page talks about possible symptoms of breast cancer, mammograms, and more. 
• The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month's site talks about what to expect when you go for your mammogram. 
• As always, if you have questions about mammograms and want to learn whether or not you should be getting screened, talk to your doctor.

It's National Yoga Awareness Month!

Interested in practicing Yoga but not sure where to start? Well, if so, you’re in luck, because September is National Yoga Awareness Month and today we’ll discuss what Yoga is, how it can benefit your health, what you need to get started, and finally, provide a handful of exercises to begin with.

Before we start, it’s important to note that Yoga, though a low-impact exercise known for its healing potential, is not an advisable exercise for everyone – so just to be safe, be sure to consult with your doctor before beginning your new regimen.

What is Yoga? How can it benefit your health?

Rooted in Sanskrit, the term Yoga means to merge or join. Its exercises, practiced to harmonize a person’s body and mind, emphasize controlled breathing, meditation, and steady body poses, also known as asanas. In addition to balancing body and mind, Yoga offers a number of other potential health benefits. Based on recent studies, practicing yoga can help in the following ways:

• General Fitness. Learning and perfecting different poses can help you to improve flexibility and strength, making you less prone to injury during other physical activities, such as running.
• Posture. Yoga is known to strengthen your core and increase body awareness, leading to better posture.
• Cardiovascular Health. Yoga has been found to lower blood pressure and heart rate, which can reduce your risk for a heart attack. Research also shows that it lowers cholesterol and improves circulation for people with heart disease. And lastly, a University of Kansas study found practicing Yoga to cut episodes of atrial fibrillation in half. While the lead researcher says Yoga should be considered as alternative treatment, be sure to consult your doctor before using it as such.
• Chronic Conditions. Per WebMD, Yoga can help to alleviate the symptoms of asthma and arthritis, amongst other chronic conditions. And according to Dr. Karen Mustain of the University of Rochester, it can help to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors.
• Mental Health. As we mentioned in the definition above, Yoga is a holistic exercise, helping to improve not only physical, but mental health as well. Specific poses can be used to help you overcome insomnia, helping you to feel refreshed and sharp, while others can help to alleviate anxiety or depression. Because practicing Yoga requires calmness and a relaxed mind while focusing on inner peace, it makes for a terrific mental health exercise. In fact, one California prison has implemented a program in hopes of helping inmates cope with anger and violence issues.
•  Curious as to what else Yoga can do for you? Here are 77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga.

Getting Started

Now that you have an idea of what Yoga can do for you, the next step is to decide which poses to try. There are hundreds of types of poses of varying degrees of difficulty, each offering a different set of health benefits. Deciding which poses to try is something to discuss with your doctor – determining what you want to get out of the exercise will optimize your experience, and you’ll also want to make sure that you don’t attempt a pose that you’re not yet able to handle, since that could lead to injury.

Before signing up for class, check to see if your employer offers free classes or subsidizes a fitness center membership as a part of its wellness initiatives. If you need help figuring out your benefits, talk to an advocacy service such as Health Advocate or Health Proponent. If your employer does not offer classes, you can check your local gym (free classes are commonly offered with memberships) or use a worldwide class directory such as YogaFinder.

According to CostHelper.com, the average cost of a single Yoga class is about $12, which often decreases when you sign up for multiple sessions. You can also save money by signing up for a service like Groupon, a free deal-of-the-day website that offers a variety of deals all over the country. For instance, this coupon will get you 10 classes at Usha Veda Yoga in Brooklyn, a $130 value, for just $39! While there are great deals to be found, the most cost effective way to practice Yoga may be to buy an instructional DVD ($5-$20, depending on contents), and just do it at home. If you’re a beginner, enlist an experienced friend or family member to participate with you – it’s a good safety precaution to take, and it’ll be nice to have someone to refer to if you have any questions.

As far as supplies go, all you’ll need for your first class is breathable clothing and a yoga mat (more advanced poses may require a medicine ball or blocks). While the studio should supply most of the equipment, it’s a good idea to purchase your own mat since you never know how often public mats are cleaned/replaced. You can get them at your local sporting goods store or Five Below, where they’re just $5.

With that, here are three simple poses to get you started. Enjoy!

TREE POSE


CAT COW


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