Paying cash for non-emergency medical needs can save you big

If you’re looking to save money on medical bills, you might consider being a cash payer and shopping around for the lowest price on non-emergency medical procedures.

I take calls on the show all the time from people who have no insurance or just a bare bones health insurance policy, and they’re getting massive bills for medical services that have already been rendered. The problem is you’re in a weakened position when it comes to asking for discounts after you’ve already had the procedure or test you need.

The key is to make a deal upfront when you have the time and opportunity to do so. I read an article in The Los Angeles Times  that gave some concrete examples of how much money doing it like this can save you.

In one case, a blood test that would have cost an insured patient $415 could be paid for in cash — after negotiating — for $95. In another case, one major insurer was charging a negotiated rate of $2,400 for a CAT scan at a Los Angeles-area hospital. But that was reduced down to $250 when the Times called to inquire about the cash price at the hospital.

Medicine doesn’t work like normal business with price lists posted and all the rest. It’s all in a fog; you have to clear out the fog if money matters to you. You don’t want to be in a position with backbreaking bills or ruined credit after the fact.

Cash is king. Medical billing offices are fatigued already with all the insurance companies. So if you do your homework and you shop services, providers, and facilities, you can make a big impact on what kind of financial burden you’ll face down the road.

Editor’s note: This segment originally aired June 15, 2012.