Due to the new healthcare regulations, some Missourians are having trouble finding out if their insurance coverage is still in effect or if their doctor will accept their new insurance plan.
Patients have been subjected to many changes recently, but so have medical offices. They are being dropped and canceled by insurance plans, often without sufficient notice. This means patients need to ask the right questions to make sure their physician still accepts their insurance.
The Doctor Patient Medical Association recommends asking the following questions before your next doctor’s appointment:
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- Are you currently participating in my insurance plan as an in-network doctor? As of what date was that correct?
- When you say you will submit my claim, does that mean you are sure my insurance will pay for it, or do you need to submit it before you can find out?
- If you are not in my network, can I use my out-of-network option with you?
- Will you give me a lower price if I pay you myself instead of asking you to file an insurance claim?
- If I pay you, can we arrange a payment plan?
- Do you accept credit card payments? If so, which ones?
- Will you give me a reduced price if I pay with a check or cash instead of a credit card?
- Can we schedule a group appointment for my family to get a better price?
- Can you help me get the best prices on labs, tests, etc.?
- If you prescribe medications, are there less expensive versions that will work for me? Is there a generic drug I could take instead?