Health Insurance Articles
Second Opinions And Two Ways They Can Help To Mitigate Health Insurance Costs
2010-05-16
There's no doubt about it, health insurance premiums can be expensive and both insurance companies and consumers are always looking for ways to reduce these costs. As patients, we can make many lifestyle changes in order to lower premiums such as not smoking, not drinking excessively, engaging in stress management, eating healthy, and exercising on a regular basis. Employers also employ methods to reduce medical insurance costs by comparing different health care plans to find one with the best rates, raising policy deductibles and co-payments, and offering their employees health savings accounts.
Insurance companies help control costs by negotiating contracts with doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers to create medical networks for patients to use. These low costs are then passed on to the consumer. They also add stipulations into policies that require patients to check into the hospital on the day of surgery rather than the day before, offering health and wellness programs to educate patients in ways to keep healthy, and offering specialized care programs.
Another huge way for insurance companies to reduce health care costs is to require patients to seek a physician second opinion regarding health issues. All doctors receive similar training in medical school, but each one may hold their own individual opinions regarding treatment options. Some doctors are more conservative or traditional with their treatment approaches and others may be more aggressive, meaning that they prefer to order a battery of expensive tests and procedures and prescribe costly medications. A physician may recommend that a patient undergo surgery to treat a certain medical condition, medical insurance will have to cover the cost of a hospital stay, perhaps medical tests such as x-rays, biopsies, and ultrasounds, and services of an anesthesiologist, surgeon, and other specialists. However, if an insurance company wants a physician's second opinion, the next doctor may suggest alternate treatments that are less costly and less invasive for the patient. Visiting another doctor will end up in additional office visit costs, but these expenses are much lower than surgery, biopsies, x-rays, and other medical tests. In the end, both the insurance company and the patient save money and time dealing with the health issues.
If you feel that your health insurance rates are too expensive and you are having a difficult time paying premiums, then you should utilize some of the above suggestions. Not only will these help reduce your own medical insurance rates, but they will help keep costs lower for everyone. Check with your medical insurance provider to see if the insurance contract states that you need to seek a second opinion from another physician or medical facility before they will pay out for medical expenses.
