10 Ways to Cut Medical Costs Before Treatment

(Thanks to Bankrate.com):

As health-care consumers endure higher deductibles and reduced insurance benefits, it is becoming more important to understand and even negotiate prices before receiving medical treatment.

Dr. Kathryn Stewart, medical director of care management at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, believes that patients can and should be more proactive about seeking the best prices for their services.

"Hospital costs are probably 40-50 percent of what their (list price) charges are," she says. But when it comes to billing, "most hospitals are happy to break even or have a little bit of profit."

This means there is plenty of room to negotiate and reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

Read the rest here.