How To Save Money In A Hospital

TESTS

It is easy for doctors to order tests when you are in the hospital, and testing sometimes becomes excessive.  This is especially true if you are covered by insurance. 

To avoid unnecessary or duplicative testing, request prior approval of each and every test.  Make sure that this request is noted in your medical chart.

Speak to your doctor about avoiding tests that will not sacrifice the quality of your care.  To help determine if a test is necessary, you may wish to ask your doctor the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the test?
• What would happen if the test were postponed to see if my condition worsens?
• Will the test be covered by my insurance?

If there are to be multiple blood tests, ask that one sample be used for all tests. It's not always possible, but the request should help.

Refuse to have blood drawn for any unexpected or unexplained tests.  Politely ask for an  explanation. You don't want to be known as a cranky patient unnecessarily.

If you are in doubt about the necessity of any test or procedure that is to be preformed tell your nurse that you want to speak to your doctor before submitting to the test or procedure.  Sometimes your doctor will order a test and/or procedure and forget to inform you. Sometimes your doctor doesn't know that some one else ordered it.  

PROCEDURES

Doctors and hospitals get paid more by Medicare and private insurers for doing something -- especially for cutting patients open or doing some kind of invasive diagnostic procedure -- than for treating them with drugs, or for simply watching and waiting.

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