Welcome
Welcome to HealthcareSavingsNut.com,™ a site dedicated to providing money saving
advice, tips and ideas on how to be frugal, save money on all your medical and healthcare
expenses, reduce your healthcare budget and live more cheaply. Tips on how to reduce
the cost of health insurance, doctors & diagnostic tests, prescriptions & over-the-counter
drugs, hospital charges, life & disability insurance, and even your pet’s veterinary
bills. A section on living wills, last wills & testaments and funeral costs is also
included. Start reducing your healthcare costs by reviewing the tips presented below.
For hundreds more tips, advice and savings, click on the navigation buttons on the
left. Tell your friends and family about HealthcareSavingsNut.com so they can start
saving too, and feel free to add a link on your web site.
Health Insurance - Make sure the policy is renewable at your option and is not a
temporary policy. Many people, when they are between jobs, buy temporary policies
that expire after a set period of time. If you do not get hurt or sick you probably
will be able to renew. But, if you do get hurt or sick, and you have not yet secured
a job that provides coverage, you will probably not be able to renew and you will
become uninsured.
Doctors & Diagnostic Tests - Before going to a new doctor, make sure you check the
doctor’s background, to ensure that there have not been any prior problems, and that
you are happy with the doctor’s credentials. You may also want to consider this
for your present doctor. The web site DocBoard.org (free) will link you to state
licensing boards for doctors. In many instances these boards will have a wealth of
information on any doctor licensed to practice in your state. The web site of the
American Medical Association (AMA-Assn.org) which is free will provide information
on where the doctor attended medical school and did their residency work, as well
as any board certifications. It will also provide phone number and location and
information on hospital admitting privilege.
Prescriptions & Over-The-Counter Drugs - Make sure you really need to be on all the
drugs that have been prescribed. This is particularly true of so-called “maintenance”
drugs that are taken over a long period of time. Sometimes conditions for which
these drugs are prescribed go away or lessen, or as you age you require a smaller
dosage. Make sure to ask your doctor if all these different drugs you have been
accumulating throughout the years are really necessary, or if there is some duplication
or over medication occurring. Ask if you can take the same dosage of a drug in
fewer tablets per day. For instance, instead of two 50 mg tablets each day take one
100 mg tablet. This may or may not advisable, depending on the nature of the medication.
Ask if a different, less expensive, drug would be just as good for your treatment.
There are often a number of drugs a doctor can choose from to treat your condition.
And ask if a combination drug, which includes two medicines you are now taking separately,
is available. Combination drugs are often less expensive than buying each drug separately,
and if you have insurance there will be only one co-pay.
Hospital Expenses - Before you are admitted to the hospital, make sure you know how
long the hospital stay is expected to be. See if you can check into the hospital
on the morning of the procedure, rather than the night before to try to save a day’s
stay. When in the hospital, if you are progressing well, ask if you can go home
early. Sometimes you can easily save an extra day’s hospital stay just by asking
to be released. And make sure you know what time of the day to be released in order
to avoid an extra day’s charges. If you have a choice, compare the costs of different
hospitals. Room rates can vary considerably. Also inquire about saving money with
a semi-private room, if available. You may also want to compare how patients rate
hospitals at HospitalCompare.hhs.gov, a new free service provided by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services.
Life & Disability Insurance - Life insurance coverage amounts are available as low
as $1,000 to several million dollars. Deciding on the “right” amount of coverage
depends on the cost of coverage, your personal needs and situation, and just why
you need life insurance. Consider the amount of annual income that would be lost,
your current debts and the length of time for which you need to provide financial
security. Your stage of life is important. If you are relatively young, your family
will probably move on with a new life at some time after your passing, and will make
their own way. If you are later in life, you may need to provide for your spouse’s
well being for an extended period if you pass away. In any case, do not become “insurance
poor” by buying excessive coverage. While large amounts of coverage are a great
“investment” if you die young (benefits are paid and premiums stop), for a person
with an average life span, insurance is costly. Remember, assuming you are healthy,
you can always buy additional coverage at a later date if you feel more coverage
is required. But keep in mind that most life insurance companies offer lower rates
per dollar of coverage as the amount of coverage purchased increases. In other words,
the per dollar cost for $250,000 of coverage may be considerably higher than the
per dollar cost of $500,000 of coverage. Make sure you check and take advantage
of these types of price breaks.
Living Wills & Last Wills & Testaments - If you become disabled to the point where
you are not capable of making your own healthcare decisions (i.e., types of treatment
and whether you are kept on life support), you will need a living will, and often
a healthcare power of attorney, to have the best chance to have your wishes honored.
Otherwise, a relative (most likely emotional), or a doctor (based on what they feel
is medically, legally or morally right), or the courts will decide your future. A
living will specifies the care you want if you become incapacitated and are not able
to make your own healthcare decisions. The healthcare power of attorney names the
person you want to make decisions for you. Both a living will and healthcare power
of attorney are easily prepared at little or no cost.
Healthcare For Pets - Make sure to shop around for pet medications. Your vet is
just one source and is probably the most expensive. Try pet stores, vet schools,
and Internet sites that sell pet medications. Ask your vet for a recommendation for
an Internet pet pharmacy that they like. Make sure you get a prescription from your
vet for each medication required. Many Internet sites sell medications including
PetCareRX.com, DiscountPetMedicines.com, 1-800-PetMeds.com, PetCareChoice.com, and
many others.
Pet insurance may or may not be a good deal. It’s just like other forms of insurance.
If by chance you end up having a lot of covered expenses it is worth it. If you
do not, it is just an extra cost. So, if your pet ends up needing some expensive
treatments or procedures, pet insurance may end up being a good purchase. But for
most pet owners, the benefits are not worth the cost. Keep in mind, pet insurance
does not typically cover routine care or pre-existing conditions. So before you
purchase, read the policy carefully to make sure you feel it is right for you.
Thanks for visiting HealthcareSavingsNut.com™ and we hope the ideas and tips for
saving money on your healthcare needs and expenses will make life just a little bit
better and healthier for you and your family.
