Millions of diagnostic exams are performed in the United States each year. However, planning and paying for these often-essential procedures can be confusing and sometimes much more expensive than they need to be. If diagnostic exams were like most consumer products, you could simply compare imaging scan prices online, come up with the funds, and make your purchase. Unfortunately, almost nothing … Read More
Three components: patient, doctor and insurance provider
Let’s talk about a term that may be unfamiliar to many people but may cause lots and lots of confusion, aggravation and stress: medical necessity. Medical necessity is defined as “accepted health care services and supplies provided by health care entities, appropriate to the evaluation and treatment of a disease, condition, illness or injury and consistent with the applicable standard … Read More
Health insurance terms explained
Capitol Imaging Services shares a very informative article that “simply” explains terms we hear or come across in regards to our health insurance. Insurance can be confusing and sometimes frustrating thing to understand, and often people throw up their hands in frustration. Use this article to become a bit better informed. Capitol Imaging Services associates are experienced, knowledgeable professionals who … Read More
Be a smart shopper on health care
The bane of any purchaser is not knowing enough about the purchase opportunity. We try hard to understand the relationship between price and what we’re getting. Nowhere is this bane more pronounced than in our relationship with our health care system. There are many ways we interface with it: Emergencies — where we ask no questions and simply plead to … Read More
Your health insurance benefits: things you should know to save money
IF YOUR EXAM IS COVERED BY PRIVATE INSURANCE: To control costs, your insurer negotiates with imaging providers on your behalf for a “contracted rate.” The contracted rate is the maximum amount that an imaging provider can collect for a covered service, and is usually less than the standard charge. What is not widely known is that the contracted rate is … Read More
Study: premiums creep up, higher deductibles jump
Diagnostic Imaging Services shares a news report that highlights while insurance premiums creep up slightly, the out-of-pocket costs for deductibles and other elements not covered by insurance plans are set to significantly jump. DIS assists people with deductibles by offering lower prices on exams than area hospitals and their imaging affiliates. Lower prices translate into lower charges that may be … Read More
Employer health plan deductibles see big 5-year jump
DIS shares a USA Today news story from September on a report that indicates health insurance deductibles taking a huge jump as we head into 2015. Premiums for employer-paid insurance are up 3% this year, but deductibles are up nearly 50% since 2009, the report by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows. The average deductible this year is $1,217, up from … Read More
Average submitted charge for ultrasound? Compare here…
As part of overall health care reform, there is more information being published for public consumption that identifies charges by hospitals across the country for various services, both inpatient and outpatient. Unfortunately, often times this information is convoluted, difficult to find and even more difficult to understand. That’s where we come in. Below is information reported by the Centers for Medicare & … Read More
More employers moving toward high deductible health plans — the time is NOW to become savvy consumers!
Many Americans with job-based health insurance will face costlier deductibles in 2015 as more large employers embrace or expand so-called consumer-directed health plans, a new survey finds. The shift to high-deductible, consumer-directed health plans is occurring as Fortune 500 companies and large public-sector employers grapple with rising health-care and insurance costs. “Employers are looking to put their employees in the driver’s … Read More
The fee for not having health insurance “soars” in 2015
Diagnostic Imaging Services shares a news report on the significant increase in the penalty that will be levied on those people who do not have health insurance. According to the report, the maximum penalty per family in 2014 looks like a bargain now at $285, a hike of nearly 250%. The fee will continue to get stiffer in 2015 when it … Read More
Ways to cut your healthcare costs
Kiplinger shares ways that everyone can save on healthcare costs. No matter how you get your insurance — through your employer, from a state exchange, from an agent or directly from an insurance company — you’re paying a bigger share of your health-care costs than you used to. Higher premiums are only part of the picture. Deductibles are rising, provider … Read More
Introducing the CareCredit healthcare credit card program
DIS has produced a short presentation that highlights the important points of the CareCredit healthcare financing program. With CareCredit, people can have assistance in paying for healthcare expenses, such as imaging exams, and spread those payments over six months with no interest being charged. CareCredit can also be used to pay for deductibles and co-payments. View our video below to … Read More
Sticker shock! Hospital versus independent facility…
Diagnostic Imaging Services shares a news report that aired on the ABC Evening News on Monday, December 2, 2013. This report investigates the reasons or rationale for the discrepancy in price between an independent facility and a hospital facility regarding blood tests. Unfortunately, the woman who had the tests received the “sticker shock” AFTER getting the bill. The hospital facility … Read More