7 Ways To Make Healthcare More Affordable
Struggling to afford medical treatment? There are many options out there that can make medical treatment more accessible regardless of your funds. Here are 7 ways to make healthcare more affordable.
Take out health insurance
Everyone should have health insurance. Whilst monthly rates can be expensive (especially if you’ve medical condition that results in you being in and out of hospital), having insurance can save you having to pay out thousands of dollars at once for treatment. Shop around for insurance schemes and look into high deductible plans – this may involve paying some money towards treatment, however you could still save a lot of money by not having to pay the whole sum out of your own pocket.
Shop around clinics
Treatment costs vary from clinic to clinic. In order to find the cheapest rate, you may want to consider ringing up various clinics in your area and asking for quotes. Your health insurance company could come in handy at this point – many insurers will be willing to help you find the cheapest rates in your area. It’s worth also shopping around for medication online and not always opting for the biggest brands.
Look into health FSAs
A health FSA allows you to save up money from your wages, which can then be put towards treatment costs. Earnings that go into these savings accounts are tax free and you can often roll over savings from the previous year. This could be used as alternative to insurance or as a means of paying a deductible.
Consider legal compensation
In certain circumstances, you may be able to pay for treatment with legal compensation, especially if it was an injury that was no fault of your own. Personal injury attorneys will be able to help you file a claim. Popular examples of injuries include car accidents, work accidents and dog bites.
Take out a medical loan
You may be able to borrow money to afford medical treatment. There are some specialist medical loan companies that offer lending options that are entirely interest free. Shop around for these specialist lenders.
Look out for free clinics
In some cities, there are clinics that offer free treatment to people under a certain income. Such clinics may only cover basic treatment, whilst others may be able to offer more complex treatment at a cheap rate. Try to look out for these in your area.
Seek out an advocate
You may also be able to get help from a medical advocate in some cases – these advocates can help you to shop around for cheap treatment and negotiate with clinics for you. Generally, you’ll have to be earning under a certain income to qualify, so bear this in mind. There are many different advocate companies to look into.