Diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs can be very expensive if you don’t have insurance. In fact, they can be expensive even if you DO have insurance, depending on your policy’s deductibles and co-pays. Most people don’t realize that the fees for these procedures can vary tremendously, depending on where they are performed. Many people use hospitals … 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
Three large insurers join forces for health care price transparency
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Inc., the largest U.S. health insurer, will lead an industry effort to throw a spotlight on the prices paid for health-care services, making their costs available to consumers on the Internet. The effort, organized by a nonprofit called the Health Care Cost Institute, builds on steps the Obama administration has taken to shed light on prices charged … Read More
Five unpleasant ways employers are cutting back on healthcare costs
The Affordable Care Act, perhaps better known as Obamacare, set in motion a series of changes that are drastically altering the health-services landscape. The law itself was designed for a few purposes. Primarily, it was enacted in order to reduce the amount of uninsured citizens in this country, and to help spread the cost of medical care across a greater … Read More
What questions should you ask when evaluating health insurance plans?
Soon, if not already, many of you will be selecting your health insurance choice for 2015, a choice that impacts yourself as well as anyone else that will be included in the insurance plan. Insurance can be confusing no doubt about it. But DIs shares a short video that outlines five recommended questions to ask when evaluating plans. The future … Read More
DIS recognizes National Health Center Week
Throughout the week of August 9-15, 2015, Community Health Centers across Louisiana will celebrate National Health Center Week. The theme for this year’s celebration is “America’s Health Centers: Celebrating Our Legacy, Shaping Our Future.” This week-long observance allows Louisiana’s Community Health Centers the opportunity to raise awareness about the crucial role they play in our state’s healthcare system and showcase their facilities to … Read More
Cancer symptoms women are most likely to ignore
— Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor Women can boost their chances for early detection by paying attention to their body’s signs. Routine tests like pap smears and mammograms are important, but don’t rely on tests alone to protect women from cancer. It’s just as important for them to listen to their body and notice anything that’s different, odd, or unexplainable. … 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
The bigger the hospital the higher the prices
Diagnostic Imaging Services shares an opinion regarding hospital health care costs and sharing one particular reason: “Doctors are fleeing private practices for the security of hospitals, and the exodus will be a disaster for U.S. health care. The bigger hospitals get, the more they can jack up their prices—up to 44 percent higher according to one estimate.” DIS is an … Read More