Find high quality Labs, Tests, and Meds for Cheap

Many people seem to think that when your doctor recommends a test, you need to get it done where they want you to get it done. Nothing can be further from the truth. You can research and choose a high quality facility who charges less than half the price of your doctor's facility and have the results sent directly to the doctor.

The same goes for prescription drugs, just by calling around you can find that certain pharmacies charge a lot less for a drug than another. There are even online options which could save you even more money.

As deductibles and prescription copays have steadily increased, it's a good thing to shop around.

Low Cost Labs and Tests

Most labs and tests vary by up to 300%, so why not go to a place that's less expensive. There are two sites to check out when looking for a lab or test (BTW, you will still need a prescription from your doctor for the test, so get that before you walk out the door).

Leslieslist.org

This is a great site that is fed by you and I and includes rates for the most common tests and prescriptions. Here is one example in the Chicagoland area. If it includes the procedure you need, then it's a great resource.

Colonoscopy

In Chicago, the pricing goes from $700+ (probably under $1000) to $2500. Most hospitals actually charge around $2500 - $3500 for the same procedure.

BTW, a friend of mine has negotiated with a doctor to do a full colonoscopy with polop removal for a flat $800 in Hinsdale. You pay upfront and deal with your insurance company. If you want more info, let me know.

Simvestatin, 30 mg tablets for high cholesterol

Leslieslist includes pricing at various drug stores from Costo to Walmart. The range for this generic is $11 for 100 tablets to $42 for 30 tablets.

Yousaveonlabs.com 

Yousaveonlabs is run by mdlabtests.com. You can put in your test and it will come up with the cost and allow you to pre-pay for the lab/test. You show up with your receipt and prescriptions, they perform the test and send it to your doctor. Many of these labs are the very same labs that process the tests done at your doctor's office anyway.

Low Cost Prescriptions

Yousaveonmeds.com

Yousaveonmeds allows you to purchase meds from around the world. It is run by a colleague of mine, Marty Portnoy. The key difference is that you need to talk to him before you can order. This means that if you require an FDIC approved manufacturer (from an outside country), he can help guide you to that manufacturer. He even provides a US receipt you can turn into your insurance company.

BidRx.com

This is a nifty site based in the US. You put in your meds and pharmacies bid on them using a reverse auction format. As far as I understand, it is all United States based pharmacies and drugs.

Summary

If you use these sites, you'll be able be a better consumer and keep more of your money in your pocket.

Essential Health Benefits, who needs to provide them starting in 2014.

Essential Health Benefits, who needs to provide them starting in 2014. 

This section also says that plans will continue to impose restrictions on services consistent with the plan option the state chooses for their essential health benefits (EHB) plan. For example, limiting the number of physical therapy visits.

#10 of the following guidance states:

Q: How would the intended EHB policy affect self-insured group health plans, grandfathered group health plans, and the large group market health plans?  How would employers sponsoring such plans determine which benefits are EHB when they offer coverage to employees residing in more than one State?

A:  Under the Affordable Care Act, self-insured group health plans, large group market health plans, and grandfathered health plans are not required to offer EHB.

However, the prohibition in PHS Act section 2711 on imposing annual and lifetime dollar limits on EHB does apply to self-insured group health plans, large group market health plans, and grandfathered group market health plans.  These plans are permitted to impose non-dollar limits, consistent with other guidance, on EHB as long as they comply with other applicable statutory provisions.  In addition, these plans can continue to impose annual and lifetime dollar limits on benefits that do not fall within the definition of EHB.

To determine which benefits are EHB for purposes of complying with PHS Act section 2711, the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and HHS will consider a selfinsured group health plan, a large group market health plan, or a grandfathered group health plan to have used a permissible definition of EHB under section 1302(b) of the Affordable Care Act if the definition is one that is authorized by the Secretary of HHS (including any available benchmark option, supplemented as needed to ensure coverage of all ten statutory categories).  Furthermore, the Departments intend to use their enforcement discretion and work with those plans that make a good faith effort to apply an authorized definition of EHB to ensure there are no annual or lifetime dollar limits on EHB.

For the full FAQ, go to the website listed below.

http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/Files2/02172012/ehb-faq-508.pdf

What We’re Reading -This is from NAHU.org's weekly update. It's lighthearted with many great links. Enjoy. Robert Slayton

From PPACA replacement plans to pregnant men, our reading list this past week has been very entertaining! A popular current speculation topic among health wonks everywhere right now is what will happen to the private health insurance marketplace if the Supreme Court strikes down PPACA’s individual mandate provision but upholds the rest of the rest of the law. Even the political satire site The Onion has gotten in on it, predicting that the administration will simply replace Obamacare with “Ointmentcare.” For those who prefer a more serious take on the potential problem, the Washington Post’s Wonk Blogand Bloomberg News have got you covered.  Guess what? Employer-provided private coverage is more robust than Medicare. This new study offers proof.  In case you were wondering, the GOP is working on a PPACA replacement plan, and the word on the street is that it will focus on cost containment. The New York Times has the scoop. Even if PPACA is completely struck down or eventually repealed, health insurance exchanges may live on in some states. Did you know that there are 17,000 pregnant men in Great Britain? Or more accurately, 17,000 men and Britain’s National Health Service are dealing with provider coding errors. Good thing in the United States we have an ICD-10 implementation delay and health insurance agents to help resolve claims issues! Sometimes the husband of a certain Washington Update author suggests that the words humor and health policy don’t really go together. But this week’s political cartoon from Kaiser Health News proves him wrong (again). While not exactly mainstream media, it does show that there are a few other people out there in the world who find jokes about risk pools, broccoli and the Supreme Court proceedings funny.