How to Reduce Hospital Medical Bills

A hospital stay can be scary. Patients are confronted with invasive tests and uncomfortable surroundings. Time spent in a hospital can also be extremely expensive. Even if you have medical insurance, you may find yourself responsible for a large bill. There are ways to reduce costs and still get the care you need to recover and remain healthy.

Instructions

• 1

  Share a room. Many hospital wards are divided into shared and private rooms. A private room can serve as a refuge from the chaos of hospital routine and help you recover. Unfortunately, using a private room can easily add many unnecessary costs. If you have a medical procedure that allows for advance notice such as a scheduled Caesarean section, talk to your doctor about sharing a room with other patients.

• 2

  Find out if the procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis. Due to advances in medical techniques such as laparoscopic surgery, patient recovery time on certain procedures has been drastically reduced. Many forms of surgery can be performed using microscopes and much smaller incisions. An operation that might have taken weeks to recover from may now take only days. Speak to your doctor about this type of surgery. If the doctor is not comfortable performing the surgery, he may be able to refer you to someone else who can help.

• 3

  Use a teaching hospital. Some hospitals are for profit. Others are affiliated with universities and private research facilities. Investigate your options if you have advanced notice. A teaching hospital often charges patients less in return for working with medical students and residents.

• 4

  Negotiate with hospitals. Large medical insurers frequently negotiate lower rates for their clients. Even if you don't have access to medical insurance you can attempt to negotiate with hospitals to lower your bills. Hospital officials often have special funds set aside to help cover the costs for needy patients. If you demonstrate that you've made a good-faith effort to pay your bills, you may be able to get other fees reduced or even waived.

• 5

  Practice prevention. The best way to reduce medical bills is to avoid the need for medicine in the first place. Prevention is difficult if you have pre-existing conditions. But there are still actions you can take to help improve your overall health. Exercise at least three times a week. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Keep to an ideal weight. Take prescribed medications as directed.