Enclosures

All enclosed guides

• How to price a scan or test when you pay cashName the exact service, compare posted self-pay prices near you, ask what the price includes, and get a written estimate before you book.About 4 minutes to readPrices only line up when the service lines up.
• What a Good Faith Estimate is and how to ask for oneA Good Faith Estimate is a provider’s written estimate of what you will be charged. Self-pay patients can ask for one, and it is required when you schedule at least three business days ahead.About 4 minutes to readA Good Faith Estimate is a written estimate, from a provider or facility, of what they expect to charge you for a service.
• What to do when the bill is higher than the estimateAsk for an itemized bill, compare it line by line with the written estimate from the same provider, and check whether any one provider billed $400 or more over its estimate.About 5 minutes to readYou need the bill and the written Good Faith Estimate from the same provider or facility.
• Why the same service has six different pricesPosted self-pay prices vary with the kind of facility, what the price includes, and how each provider sets its prices. Compare like for like, and get the one you pick in writing.About 4 minutes to readLook up one service in one ZIP code and you will often see a wide range.
• Paying from an HSA or FSA, and the records to keepHSA and FSA money is for qualified medical expenses. Check with your plan administrator, keep itemized receipts, and file each one where you can find it.About 4 minutes to readA health savings account (HSA) and a flexible spending account (FSA) both hold money set aside for medical costs.
• Paying cash or going through a high-deductible planA self-pay price can look lower than what you would owe through a high-deductible plan, but cash payments do not count toward your deductible unless the plan says so. Ask the plan before you choose.About 4 minutes to readIf you have a high-deductible health plan, you may be paying the full cost of a scan or test yourself until you meet the deductible.