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What Does It Mean to be a Health Care Consumer?
For the first time since people traded chickens for house calls, Americans are focusing on how they use and pay for their health care.
No matter what you think about health care reformhealth care reform
This is a broad term for major changes happening in the United States health care system now and in ... more – love it, hate it, couldn't care less – one thing is certain. It has brought to light the fact that health care has never worked like other businesses.
Think about buying a car. We spend weeks thinking about which car to buy. Then we do research, and go on test drives. We go online to check quality and safety measures. We ask friends and family for advice about what to buy and what to avoid. We compare prices at local dealerships and online to look for the best deals. After all of that, we buy a car.
But when our family doctor says, "You need surgery," we wait to be pointed in the right direction. We should ask:
- Which hospital has the best results?
- What surgeon is the best at this procedure?
- How much of the cost will my health planhealth plan
A health plan that you buy or that is provided by your employer. It pays for health care services. I... more cover and how much will I pay?
Armed with information, you can review your choices and make wise decisions.
A smart consumer
Being a smart health care consumer means looking at health care as a business. It's in your best interest to be informed about the quality and costs of what you're buying, just like any other purchase you make. Why?
Greater awareness can help you:
- Find high-quality care
- Stay safe
- Reduce your costs
If any of those sounds good to you, read on.
Small decisions
You don't put a lot of thought into every purchase you make, right? Grabbing a pack of gum in the grocery checkout line doesn't require the same degree of thought as planning your vacation. Health care works the same way. Some decisions are minor and easy.
For example, getting an X-ray or an MRI is relatively simple. In a case like this, when quality and safety don't play a role in the decision, why not focus on saving yourself some money? Look at this chart:
Out-of-network | In-network | |
MRI in a hospital | $3,000 | $1,600 |
MRI in an imaging center | $2,000 | $1,200 |
An MRI can cost you $3,000 or $1,200. If you were buying a TV and saw these four prices for the exact same product, you'd buy from the store that charged $1,200, right?
Big decisions
Not all heath care decisions are so easy. If you need open-heart surgery, you are surely not bargain hunting. You want high-quality care at a reasonable cost. This decision requires thought and work on your part. You need to find a hospital to have the surgery and a surgeon to do the job. At the same time, you can compare costs for the procedure and care.
Track your spending
Every month when your credit card bill arrives, you can see what you spent on buying gas for the car, going out to eat, new clothes, and other expenses. You can see if you're sticking to your budget. And you can plan for the future. You might need to cut back during some months so you can save up for the winter holidays or that summer vacation.
Heath care spending works the same way. Once you register to use your health planhealth plan
A health plan that you buy or that is provided by your employer. It pays for health care services. I... more's secure website, you can see what portion of your costs the plan pays, as well as what you owe.
You can also find all sorts of financial information about your health care:
- If you have a deductibledeductible
A set amount that you must pay for your medical services before the health plan starts to pay.... more
This is the amount you have to pay for your health care before your plan starts paying for anything. - If you have coinsurancecoinsurance
The portion of the cost of medical services that you pay for, after you first pay any deductible you... more
This means you and your health planhealth plan
A health plan that you buy or that is provided by your employer. It pays for health care services. I... more share certain costs. For example, your plan may pay 80% of the cost of an X-ray. You pay the other 20%. - If you have a health fundhealth fund
A term applied to both Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) t... more
These are accounts that you and/or your employer put money into. You use this money to pay for certain medical expenses.
There are ways to save money. But you have to understand the system. You have to get in there and get your fingers dirty. And, to be honest, you need to keep an eye out that no mistakes are made that could cost you money. Mistakes happen. But you shouldn't have to pay for them.
© 2012 Aetna Inc.