Keep Your Dollars in Your Pocket: Bargain With Your Doctor

A recent WebMD article was listing ways to save money on your healthcare. The timing on this is excellent, since this has been our main discussion topic for several posts. The suggestion was given to bargain with your doctor. This is a topic I typically have on my list of suggestions also. When is this appropriate and how do you accomplish it? If you are going to be paying the entire cost of your visit, procedure or test, this is prime time to ask for a discount. The physician’s office will usually ask about your insurance as they are scheduling your first appointment. I recommend taking a very proactive and positive response to this question. Rather than just stating that you do not have insurance, tell them you will be paying cash. Explain your situation. WebMD suggests saying “You’re not in my network, but I wouldn’t trust anyone else to handle this. Is there any way you can adjust your fee for me?” You just might be surprised at what you hear. If you approach it carefully, develop a positive relationship with the physician and the staff, there is a high chance you will have a positive outcome. The physician (and hospitals or surgery centers) can adjust their fee for you and still come out with a larger payment than if you did have insurance (usually). If they believe that you will pay, it is more likely they will be willing to discuss it. It is fairly routine for a health provider to give a 20% discount. Most can go less than that and still make a nice profit. When they negotiate with an insurance company, there are steep discounts plus the member’s co-pay of only 20-30 dollars. So now you know that you have some room for negotiation but don’t try to force a steeper discount or you may get none. Remember, a good relationship with the health care provider is your best negotiating tool.

One last reminder. If you are negotiating with a facility (hospital, surgery center) do not pay your bill up front. You can save more money by examining the detailed bill. There are companies or people that can help you with that task. I can hook you up, give me a call. alice@EZHealthCareOnline.com www.EZHealthCareOnline.com