Insurance Basics: Home
To get the best care, it helps if you and your doctor make decisions together. The process is called "shared decision making." This article suggests ways to talk to your doctor about three common health problems where there may be no clear, "right" option. They are uterine fibroids, type 2 diabetes and low-risk prostate cancer. These are examples of preference-sensitive conditions.
Since providers are able to decide how much to charge for out-of-network care, sometimes that charge might be higher than you expected.
If you´ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition, this article will give you some guidelines to help manage your care and costs. In it you will learn how you can get help to:
Most health plans have a “network”, a group of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers who agree to take your insurer´s rate.
New rules have expanded access to two types of limited health insurance plans. They are association health plans (AHPs) and short-term, limited duration (STLD) health plans. Because they don’t have to follow the Affordable Care Act, these plans can cost less than regular health plans. But, they have limitations you should know.
For many health services, you have time to plan and shop around. If you’re getting the service in a hospital or health system, you may be able to check the price ahead of time at different facilities. You can also use the Shoppable Services tool on this website to learn the average price for the service in your area and surrounding areas.
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