Last in our Series About Preparing for 2017

With a dwindling number of ever higher cost, higher out-of-pocket, fewer provider health insurance plans on the 2017 horizon it is likely that many folks around the country will, unfortunately, choose to go without coverage and pay a tax penalty. Some of you may not even have a choice in the matter as there may be counties (there is one in Arizona right now with nearly 10,000 Obamacare policy owners) that won’t have any insurance companies offering plans at all.

If you choose to be uninsured next year or you simply have no insurance plans offered in your area there are things that you can do and resources to know about, that can help you tremendously if you develop a medical problem or are simply in need of preventive care or screening services.
 
Here are several of the very best:

• Use a Community Health Center for primary care and non-life threatening problems. Community Health Centers, largely funded by the federal government, have been around since the 1960’s. They now serve more than 9,200 communities throughout the US. For more information about this valuable medical resource click here.
• Join a low-cost telemedicine/wellness service. The best of these services provide 24/7 access to board certified physicians who can be accessed by telephone or, in some cases, by video calls. Nearly 9 out of 10 minor health issues may be diagnosed, and treated by these services. Physicians may prescribe most types of non-narcotic medications. Some of these services use a monthly subscription fee model, others use a “per visit” copayment model. One of the ones that we like the best is Healthiest You.
   
• The retail mini clinics that can now be found in many drug stores and mass merchandisers can be an affordable resource for primary care. Usually a flat copay amount takes care of everything that happens during your visit. If attached to a pharmacy and you need medication, you can take care of everything in a single visit.
   
•  Urgent care centers offer another “front-line” option for medical crises and certain preventive care services. However, you need to be cautious, as the level of care and professionalism varies greatly from company to company. Also, some of these centers will try to pile up a lot of medical and lab tests at very high cost.
   
•  If you need lab work use one of several online re-sellers. These companies use the major national labs for their blood draws but they buy tests in bulk and re-sell them at deeply discounted rates, sometimes as much as 80% less than you would pay directly to the lab itself. Our favorite is Walk-in-Lab. This service does not require a doctor’s order (save on the cost of an office visit) and the test results are e-mailed directly to you.
   
• If you need a procedure or a higher-cost diagnostic test get medical providers to bid for your business. There is actually an online auction site for consumers that can be used for qualified medical professionals to bid on many types of procedures and tests. The site also includes qualitative information about each medical provider. To learn more go to MediBid.
   
• Become a medical tourist. Many medical and dental procedures can be performed by Western-trained, highly credentialed physicians and dentists in foreign countries, but at much lower rates than those charged in the US. One company, MedRepublic, was started by American physicians. They personally investigate the qualifications and clinical results of all providers in their international network. Even if you are already insured you may find that many elective procedures and dental services such as implants are not covered on your plans. Medical tourism could save you thousands without sacrificing quality of care.
   
•  Save on prescription medications. There are several websites and phone applications that check prescription prices, coupons, and manufacturer incentives in real time at all pharmacies in your area. These services could save hundreds on the cost of medications. We like GoodRx. Our own free Prescription Discount Card can save up to 75% on human and pet medications at nearly 60,000 pharmacies. Also, if you are on a limited income and have been prescribed expensive medications there are several prescription assistance programs that could reduce your prescription costs by thousands of dollars. With a program like LoneStarScriptCare, if your income qualifies, each medication will cost $20 per month regardless of its actual cost.
   
• Save on care with medical professionals and other health care practitioners with SingleCare. This service will soon have providers throughout the country but they currently service much of the west and southwest. They have arranged for special low-prices on dozens of medical services for cash patients.
  

We hope that everyone in 2017 will have access to affordable, accessible health care  but if you find that you simply cannot afford, or have no access to insurance, the resources shown above could save considerably on your costs of care while providing access to highly qualified medical professionals. Thanks for reading.

Alan Leafman, President

(800) 955-0418