A new report has come out and states that a record number of people have gone without health insurance for at least part of the past year. The report indicates almost 50 million were without insurance, up from 46 million in 2008.
I think there is plenty of room for debate about this actual number, but I don’t think there is much argument that the number has increased in recent years. Over 62% of people with health insurance receive benefits through their employer. If people are losing their job due to the economic times we live in, it just stands to reason there are fewer with health insurance.
Not having health insurance guarantees you of one thing, that you will pay the most when you need health care. Only the uninsured pay ‘sticker price’ on a medical bill. That is because most medical providers have agreements in place with insurance, both private and government sponsored, to make adjustments to the amount they actually collect. Without the benefit of an agreement, the uninsured is out of luck.
What can the uninsured do when they receive a bill? First, don’t ignore the bill. Talk to the hospital or doctor billing office and ask to set up a payment plan. You should also inquire if they offer a prompt pay discount.
Since most medical bills are generated for the insurance company to pay, they have confusing alpha numeric codes. Without a ‘key’ to unlock what these codes mean, it is difficult to understand what you are being billed for when you receive a bill. Those without insurance have no means to the ‘key’. Patient advocates like INSNET can help. We provide risk free medical bill review and negotiation. A fee is charged based on a percentage of the amount saved on the negotiation. If there is no savings on the negotiation, there is no fee for the review.
[...] – An article from INSNET, LLC [...]