Saving Money
Cutting Healthcare Costs:
The Environmental Protection Agency has found:
- Between 150,000 and 300,000 cases of respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia annually in children up to 18 months of age are attributable to second hand smoke. Of these, between 7,500 and 15,000 will result in hospitalization.
- Second hand smoke increases the frequency of episodes and severity of symptoms in asthmatic children. An estimated 200,000 to 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition worsened by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Visiting
the Doctor
If you do find you need to visit the doctor, here
are some ways to cut your costs.
Choose the Right Care:
Establish a relationship with a family practice or internal medicine doctor so that
you will have a doctor to call when you are sick. Going to the emergency room or
a walk-in clinic, or even a specialist, may cost more.
Is It An Emergency?
Many people these days are using emergency rooms as their physicians, either because
they haven't established a relationship with a doctor or because they know they
can't be turned away if they don't have insurance. It can be more expensive, however,
since most emergency room visits mean charges from the hospital as well as from
the doctor. If it's not truly a medical emergency, a 24-hour clinic may be less
expensive.
Ask About Fees:
If you will have trouble paying for your doctor's visits, ask your doctor upfront
if you can set up a payment plan. And don't be afraid to try to negotiate a reduction
in the bill. If you don't have insurance, for
example, you'll
likely pay more than
the insurance company would. So you may want to ask for a discount if you pay the
bill at the time of visit.
Go to School:
You may be able to receive free or discounted care on dental services, massages,
acupuncture, or other types of health services from schools that need patients so
their students can practice and learn. Check the Yellow Pages or the Internet for
schools near you.
