Cats and Coupons

If you have medical insurance there’s a good chance you have to pay a coinsurance for  diagnostic imaging like xrays, cat scans and mri’s. Sometimes a copay and a coinsurance are required.
When it comes to keeping out of pocket expenses down, many people know the two big rules regarding diagnostic imaging.
1. Before you have your test, be sure to check if you need a precertification.
2. When scheduling be sure you’re going to an in network provider.
But here’s one people may not have thought about. Check with your insurance carrier if you can use a physician who performs and reads his own tests. Here’s an example. I have a 20% coinsurance on all diagnostic imaging and a $30 copay on all visits to a physician’s office. By going to an orthopedist who does his own xrays or cat scans I now only pay $30 and 20% coinsurance. Had I gone to an orthopedist who didn’t I’d pay a $30 copay to him, a 20% coinsurance to the facility where I had the test done and another 20% coinsurance to the radiologist who read the test. Depending on who’s on your insurance policy and the amount of tests you have done this could really save some money. To protect yourself from unpleasant surprises, be sure you know your benefits before having any procedure or test done no matter what insurance you have.