Lots of people find it frustrating how much they're paying for medication on top of what you're already paying for health insurance. If you or your employees are paying more than $30 per month on top of your premium for prescription drugs, you are paying too much. There are a couple things you can do to reduce costs on prescriptions.
The first is using manufacturer copay cards where you can search “copay cards” for your specific drug and often times the manufacturer will cover the copay cost. The second prescription drug hack is coupons. If you take generic prescriptions many companies such as GoodRx, SingleCare and Honeybee will allow you to pay cash for less than you would pay with your copay. The only negative to coupons is that the money doesn’t go towards your deductible or out of pocket max. The third hack is taking advantage of mail in pharmacies, where the costs are often lower than using a cash coupon card.
Episode 4 of KARE 11 Health Care Hacks focuses on the questions you and your employees should ask and the precautions you should take to avoid owing thousands of dollars unexpectedly. Even with great insurance you can still receive a bill for something that goes beyond your co-pay, co-insurance or part of your deductible and isn’t covered by your insurance plan. These bills can occur due to services being out of network, or the insurance company deems the care unnecessary and refuses to pay your bill.
To prevent out of network charges, make sure the providers, hospitals and offices you choose are in network. If you receive an out of network bill, negotiate because often times the providers overcharge due to the fact that insurance companies have negotiated rates that end up being much less than the original bill. People also receive surprise bills due to denial of coverage by insurance companies, so this is why it’s important to ask for predetermination. Even if you are aware of out of network bills and insurance denials, surprise bills can still happen. Athos is here to help our members navigate the healthcare industry and do the heavy lifting for you.
Episode 5 breaks down the costs of the different options for healthcare. All of these options can have substantial difference in price, this is why it's important to understand the cost differences depending on the level of care you need. We help you understand by highlighting the difference between the emergency room, urgent care, your doctors office, a retail clinic, and using a medical hotline. Being educated on where you receive care can save your organization and your employees money.
Contact us at contact@athoshealth.com to learn how we can help your organization and click the link to watch HealthCare Hacks with Athos Health's CEO, Jon Hess. Remember, you can bring significant savings on prescription drugs, help avoiding surprise medical bills, and support choosing the most fitting option for receiving care. Athos is here to help your members navigate through the healthcare system and helps protect members from overpaying on their healthcare with personalized advocacy programs and solutions.
Click here to watch Episode 3 - Paying for perscriptions
Click here to watch Episode 4 - Surprise medical bills
Click here to watch Episode 5 - ER, Urgent Care, Office Visits: Breaking Down the Costs
