Guest writer Sophia Wynott is a nurse from Phoenix, Arizona. She has over thirty years of nursing experience and has written three books about life in the health care profession. She is a grandmother of three and enjoys little dogs. These are her words . . .

Employers are offering high deductible plans in order to save the company overhead in employee insurance costs. The current label is ‘œConsumer Driven’ health care. Here are some items you need to pay close attention to in order to prevent greater than necessary strain on your personal pocketbook.

1. Always submit medical bills to the insurance first. By paying the full amount billed at the time of the visit you will forfeit the reduced amount contracted with that provider by the insurance company.

2. Carefully check the itemized bill and EOB (explanation of benefits). Make sure you are only billed for items and care received.

Example 1: I found I had been charged for four X-rays by my dentist’s office that I did not receive. I called them and they removed the charges and reimbursed the insurance company.

Example2: I was charged for a doctor visit and interpretation of EKG in the ER I did not receive. I called the hospital and they removed the charge.

3. Ask about any item on your bill that you don’t understand. Don’t feel embarrassed that you may not understand the medical terminology or the ICD-9 or CPT coding system. Treat health care as any other business. Expect discounts and contracted terms. Demand honesty.

4. Compare pharmacy costs. All pharmacies can tell you what they charge for any medication in their store. Some charge as much as three times more than other pharmacies for the same medications. Other drug stores offer their own discount programs for generic formulas if you don’t use insurance. You may find paying their reduced cost is less than the co-pay when you use your insurance plan. You may also find that paying for some of the over-the-counter versions of medications is cheaper and still meets your needs.

5. Double check which part of your HSP (Health Care Savings Plan) you are currently using. Frequently there are items not covered by HRA’s (Health Care Reimbursement Accounts) that are covered by FSA’s. Usually employers deduct for FSA’s (totally funded by pre-tax employee dollars) before the start using HRA’s (‘œGifted’ to the employee by the employer as incentives or benefits).

6. Don’t forget to keep all your medical expense receipts, including insurance costs if not paid for with pre-tax dollars, for tax deductions. It will make you smile to see some of those dollars returned to your bank account.