How much will your surgery cost?
If you're uninsured or have a high deductible insurance plan, you need to know.
But don't count on the hospital to tell you.
Research from "The Healthcare Blue Book Surgery Pricing Secrets: The Challenges Patients Face," shows that it is almost impossible to get prices ahead of time if a patient plans to have surgery in a hospital.
In a recent Kaiser Health News article, Paul Ginsburg, president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, said published hospital charges are "useless for consumers."
This is why my friend Jan has traveled from the states to Thailand to have several operations over the past five years. Ask her about her experience, quality of care, and the discounted cost and you'll see her smile and say, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
While I'm not advocating you fly across the globe, it does make my point. A growing number of Americans can't afford to have surgery in traditional hospitals.
So what should you do?
According to http://www.healthcarebluebook.com, hospitals are 4 times more costly than outpatient ambulatory surgery centers for the same procedure and they are more likely to offer a cash discount and guaranteed pricing.
Something to consider, right?
Regardless of where you have surgery, ask and compare prices.
Go with the one that can give you a competitive price with a price guarantee and take the rest to the bank.
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