Three new healthcare services to help you save money.

Save money using these new healthcare services.

Judging whether a medical issue is “emergency room worthy” isn’t always easy. A bad tummy ache could be gas or something more urgent such as appendicitis. Your pain level is usually a pretty good indicator of whether it’s something that needs immediate medical attention.

If your pain level is off the charts, go to your local emergency room. It may cost a pretty penny but it’s better to be safe than sorry. If your pain level is tolerable, triage your situation with some of the new healthcare services.

Three new healthcare services to save you money

1/ Telehealth

You can now chat with a licensed physician on demand via phone, teleconference or a mobile app to get professional advice rather than searching the web. The cost runs about $50 per appointment and may be covered by your insurance.

If you’re new to working out, a weekend warrior or an athlete, having on demand access to a Sports Medicine physician is not a bad idea. You will likely have more aches and pains than the average person. It’s good to know what’s causing the issue and whether it’s something that needs medical attention, modification or just recovery time. 

2/ Home Visit

Physicians are making house calls again. If you or someone you love has a medical condition that makes it difficult to leave the house then a home visit might be the answer. Home health visits for the elderly and/or handicapped are usually covered by Medicare and/or Medicaid.

There are also concierge services offering house calls for anyone feeling too sick to get out of bed [think bad cough or flu] or too busy to squeeze in a check up. The cost runs about $99 which is about the same as an office visit and may be covered by your insurance.

3/ Urgent Care

Urgent care centers are popping up in every neighborhood and are a great resource to help you rule out more serious medical issues or confirm a potential diagnosis.

Rapid tests, exams and x-rays are performed on the spot to help diagnosis contagious things like strep throat and pink eye, evaluate tummy and chest pain and splint broken bones. From there, healthcare professionals will direct you for any needed follow up care. The base cost starts at $250 and goes up with each test, exam, x-ray and/or service performed.

Estimate vs. Actual Cost

Now you know when and how to use the new healthcare services and roughly how much they will cost. The exact prices depends on who owns and operates the services, geographical location and whether or not discounts are offered by insurers and to patients who pay at time of service.