Saving Money on Hospital Trips
Joe Lademarco was admitted to MUSC overnight and was charged a bloated 165 dollars for 12 pills. This is a very high price to pay for a dozen pills, don’t you think? As expected, he is indeed very mad about it, but what could have he done to prevent such an event?
Hospitals are not charitable institutions, neither are medical insurance companies. They are run by true-blooded businessmen, and just like any other businesses, they aim at getting revenues. Well, 165 dollars may not be too scary, but just imagine how much it would cost him if he stays a few days longer in the hospital. There are certain things that Joe didn’t do which led him to pay such a high fee for a dozen pills, but all of this things point to one thing- he forgot to ask.
Assuming too many things can really get you into trouble. Joe assumed that he can use his own medication (which he brought along with him) during his stay. He also assumed that his insurance provider will cover the costs of the hospital-dispensed medication. These are two blunders that should be avoided to be able to prevent paying exorbitant fees when going to the hospital.
If you are to bring your own medication, make sure that you inform the hospital about your move to do so. You can make arrangements with them and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Insurance policies are not universal, there are some loopholes and details that policy members tend to disregard. You should always make sure that you know the details of your insurance policy so as you can budget your money well inside the hospital.
Ignorance is bliss, until something unfortunate happens. Make sure that you are informed about the pertinent policies before doing anything or signing anything in a hospital.
via live5news.com
(image from healthpolicywatch.org)
Tags: insurance-policy, medical-bill, medication
1 opinion for Saving Money on Hospital Trips
Universal
Aug 16, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I think there should be universal health care just like the kind we enjoy here in Sweden. In fact, why not visit Sweden and ask questions about it? You can learn more about a very nice place to visit if you go here: http://www.stockholmcountryside.com
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