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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With New York unemployment rates up to 8% this year, more and more residents of the Big Apple are finding themselves without health insurance. In addition to being an award-winning orthopedic surgeon and Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Dr. Ira Kirschenbaum has important money saving advice on how best to take care of your health if you have lost or are in fear of losing your job (and consequently, your health insurance).
Prevention. You can’t afford to let an ailment get out of control without insurance. Some suggestions: Be cautious with your sugar intake if you have a family history of diabetes. Watch what you eat if you have high blood pressure. Take care of a cold early. Routine well-visits are guaranteed to cost less than a hefty hospital bill.
Do your homework. Shop around for different doctors and medications that are available. Top notch physicians and high-quality medical care are surprisingly easy to find if you know where to look.
Avoid the Emergency Room. Unless it is a crisis situation, seek out clinics available at medical centers across the city, which are either cost-effective or operate on a sliding scale. University hospitals that are easily accessible and proficient include: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City Free Clinic, and Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center.
Ask your doctor. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor if your prescription is absolutely necessary. Oftentimes, your physician will be able to provide you with free samples or the pharmacy may have alternative generic brands at a lower cost.
Think outside the box. Medical tourism has become increasingly popular, with people traveling outside the country to have extensive surgeries performed. Even if traveling abroad is not an option, research procedural costs in other countries and use that information to negotiate a more reasonable fee with your local hospitals in the U.S.
Ask a relative. If you have any friends or family members in the medical field, ask them for advice on your condition. You could save both time and money by avoiding an unnecessary trip to the doctor.
Negotiate hospital fees. If you do find yourself burdened with hospital fees, don’t be afraid to take a stand.
Double check your bill. Even the experts can make mistakes.
Offer to pay Medicare, Medicaid, or managed care rates. Almost every single hospital accepts one of these forms of coverage, so research the rates that covered patients pay as a barometer. You’dbe surprised how many hospitals are willing to compromise.
Seek out their financial office. Many hospitals have departments that evaluate patient finances and will settle for whatever you can afford.
Just get covered. There is a good chance that you qualify for Medicaid or Emergency Medicaid without being aware of it. Look into programs such as Affinity Health System, Healthfirst NY, Wellcare Health Plans, and FidelisCare for additional healthcare support.
More on Dr. Ira Kirschenbaum:
As Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Dr. Ira Kirschenbaum runs an innovative program overseeing a staff of six orthopedic surgeons who deliver Orthopaedic care to one of the largest clinic populations in the country.
He was the founding Executive Director of Medscape Orthopaedics and Community Health Editor in Orthopaedics for WebMD. Kirschenbaum is nationally known in minimally invasive hip and knee replacement, complex revision joint replacement surgery, arthroscopy, and joint reconstruction. Additionally he is a leader in the Orthopaedic and medical communities in the areas of information technology and electronic health records having lectured extensively on these subjects.
Kirschenbaum affiliations past & present: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, The Orthopaedic Research Society. In 1994, Kirschenbaum was awarded the prestigious James A. Vohs Award for Quality while chief of reconstructive surgery for Kaiser Permanente.
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