How to Compare Health Care Options

Comparing your health care options can seem like a daunting task, but it is an important step in managing your overall health and wealth. Health care providers typically offer a variety of general and specialized health-related services, all of which can vary in price by provider and location. Therefore it is critical to understand your health care needs and your health insurance coverage before comparing different options.

Things You'll Need

• List of your current health care needs
• List of prescription medications
• Your health insurance policy

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Instructions

• 1

  Assess your needs and preferences. As you begin the process of comparing health plans, it is important to have a thorough understanding of your health care needs and preferences. Consider making a list of your current health care needs including regular prescriptions, medical conditions and other health concerns or questions. Your specific health care needs will determine which health care options may be most appropriate for your situation.

• 2

  Understand your health insurance coverage. A critical step in comparing health care options is to understand which doctors, clinics, services and procedures are covered by your health insurance plan. Typically, your out-of-pocket costs will be greater if you see a doctor or provider who is not part of the health insurance plan network. Thus, understanding which doctors and clinics are a part of your health insurance network can help narrow down which health care options you should compare. Individuals without health insurance may want to focus more on the cost of the health care than the provider.

• 3

  Compare providers. Once you have determined you health care needs, insurance options and coverage limitations, you can begin comparing providers. If you have health insurance coverage, you may want to focus more on comparing the different providers and available services as opposed to the cost of the care. Consider the following as you investigate different clinics and doctors:

  • Doctor's education, training, specialties
  • Access to other specialists/doctors
  • Location, parking and hours of business
  • Payment methods
  • Insurance claim paperwork
  • On or offsite lab work

• 4

  Compare costs. If you do not have health insurance coverage, cost will likely be a bigger factor as you compare health care options. In many cases, different health care providers charge different amounts for the same health care service. Contact a few different health care providers and ask them how much they charge for the health care services you need. Also, don't be afraid to negotiate with your doctor. If they know you do not have health insurance, they may be willing to give you a discounted rate or suggest an alternative treatment that may be less expensive.