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If you are one of these people considering giving up the expensive insurance plan and signing up for free Medicaid instead, consider these tips which may help you get through the current credit crunch and ensure you get the most out of your insurance plan. 1. Know your policy and the maximum dollar amount it will cover per person each year. Many people never look at this figure and when they are faced with a major surgery they find themselves over the yearly limit and owing large sums of money to the doctor. The only way to know if you can afford a certain medical procedure is to know what your insurance will cover each year and to track how much of it you have already spent. In many cases expensive medical procedures can be split up into two different surgeries, one this year and one after the maximum benefits have reset for another year. This way, the insurance covers a larger percentage and you get all of the operations you need. 2. Stay within your network, even if it means leaving your favorite doctor. Many people pay a much higher co-pay or even give up part of their benefits in order to see a doctor that is not covered by their plan. Many doctor's offices will join with a plan if you request it, so make sure that is not an option. If they will not join and you are struggling financially it is in your best interest to find a doctor that is within your network to pay the lowest co-pays possible and to get the most beenfits from the insurance plan. 3. It is always worth the shot at saving money to call your doctor with minor concerns instead of going into the office. You can call the office and leave a message with the receptionist and the doctor will call you back before they leave the office that day. Oftentimes a doctor will call in medications without seeing you if you have been in for a visit in the recent past. This can save you valuable time driving to the office as well as money blown on co-pays. If health care trends follow the rest of the industires during the current credit crunch it is likely to only get worse from here. The currrent credit crunch may put extra stress on paying the health insurance premiums, but it is much less expensive than paying for your health care completely on your own if something were to happen to you in the future. |
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