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FabSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:22:22 PDT

6 Tips to Spend Less on Health Care

Kiplinger — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:15:48 PDT

Many people pay a lot of money for medical expenses. Kiplinger shares a couple of ways to cut your health bills.

Spend less on drugs

Switching to generic drugs is one of the easiest ways to save - especially now that some big-name medications, such as Lipitor, have gone generic (see Brand-Name Lipitor at Generic Prices). Some brand-name drugs don’t have a generic clone but do have a therapeutic equivalent, which is in the same class of drugs but is a little different chemically. You can look up generics and therapeutic equivalents at www.drx.com (or through your insurer’s Web site) and also see how much you can save by using mail order. Ask your doctor about lower-cost alternatives.

Spend less at the hospital

Physicians often work at outpatient surgery centers as well as hospitals, and the cost of treatment can vary widely by location even though you’re getting care from the same doctor. Before scheduling a procedure, ask whether the doctor works at any other facilities. Then call the hospitals or outpatient centers to compare costs. Fees for the doctor and the anesthesiologist might be the same, but you’re likely to save on the facility fee.

Read on for more.