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10 Ways to Cut Health Care Costs

1. Develop a good working relationship with a primary care physician or family doctor
   A primary care physician or family doctor knows you, your medical history, and your circumstances and stands a much better chance than a relative stranger of making decisions and giving you advice that will keep you healthy, out of the hospital, and in no need of specialized medical care.



2. Don't use the emergency room unless absolutely necessary
   Call your doctor and try to get some advice over the phone or, better yet, in person. When available use an Urgent Care Center.





3. Get — and stick — with the program
   Most of American health care these days is devoted to treating chronic conditions — like arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Taking medications as prescribed, getting regular check-ups and adhering to lifestyle changes can keep those diseases under control at relatively modest cost.



4. Don't go directly to a specialist without checking with your primary care doctor, even if your insurance allows it
   Medical care is increasingly specialized, but as much as possible, you should let your primary care physician or family doctor coordinate that care. If she or he doesn't know what's going on, it can lead to wasteful — and possibly harmful — overtesting and duplication of treatments.



5. Ignore the drug ads
   New drugs may have real advantages over older ones, but the virtues of the old standbys, which don't have big ad budgets behind them, often get overlooked. Older drugs are frequently just as effective (if not more so) and safer — and almost certainly cheaper.



6. Go generic
   Insurers have higher co-pays for brand-name drugs, so using generic medications can mean a cost savings both for you and for the health care system.



7. Fight inertia
   If you're taking a medication, discuss with your physician how long you've been taking it, whether it's working, and if it isn't, not taking it anymore. Many people take medications for years without knowing if they are helping in any way.



8. Question the need for expensive tests
   Don't push to get new, expensive tests just because you think new is better. And if a doctor orders an expensive test like an MRI or CT scan, you can ask why it's necessary and how it will make a difference.



9. Wait, and it may go away
   People frequently get tests and treatments for aches, pains, and other discomforts that might have gone away on their own because the illness-producing stress of work or school lets up, for example, or the immune system fights off the infection. If you are feeling sick, by all means get evaluated, but if your doctor suggests the test of time, take the test.



10. Stay healthy!
    Not needing health care is perhaps the surest way of spending less money on it. So don't smoke and get help quitting if you do. A good diet will lower your cardiovascular risks. Exercise helps with — well, you name it. Sleep is fast becoming the third pillar of wellness. Studies have shown that averaging eight hours a night may prevent colds and keep arteries open.