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Prioritize urgent care centers for non-emergencies. Ask your insurer to send current pricing documentation. Never pay out-of-network bills right away. File an appeal if your providers aren't being flexible.
For injuries like sprains, minor cuts, and fevers, use an urgent care center instead of an emergency room. These centers typically offer lower prices for all treatments—emergency or not. Between 2005 and 2006, the average price for emergency visits was just $156. For emergency rooms, the same visit cost $570. Websites or handbooks that document insurance deductibles are sometimes out of date, which is why you should personally request the most current versions. Determine how much you have to pay for emergency care, how long you have to stay for these fees to be waived, and which area hospitals accept your insurance.  Communicate with the billing department at your hospital of choice and determine whether their emergency room doctors are covered by your insurance plan. When emergency situations do arise, you can use the aforementioned information to choose the cheapest hospital based on what your coverage provides. Clarify how your plan defines "medically necessary ambulance rides." This will typically include situations when you are unconscious, severely bleeding, or in extreme pain. Every time you receive emergency room care, you will likely receive separate bills from each provider outside of your insurance network. Always wait until you receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) statement from your insurer.  Compare bills and EOBs to ensure that you received all noted services. You also need to confirm that each provider that sent the bills are outside of your plan. Always ask your insurer if they are flexible on paying your outside bills. You can also ask doctors if they are willing to negotiate, or ask your insurer to do so on your behalf. If your insurers or healthcare providers aren't being flexible enough, you can file an appeal. Ask your primary care doctors for a letter confirming the necessity of your emergency room treatment.  Use the Patient Advocate Foundation for guidance—they are free of charge. Visit them here: http://www.patientadvocate.org/. Enlist the help of professional claims consultants if you're willing to pay a fee or part of the reimbursement.