The most painful part of a hospital visit can be your bill, even if your health-care plan pays a high percentage of the expenses. Below is a list of steps that can help you reduce the cost of a hospital stay.

1.  Make sure a hospital visit is necessary.
There may be a non-invasive alternative to surgery, or perhaps the procedure could be done on an outpatient basis.

2.  Always question the purpose of tests and procedures.
Don’t assume your physician will automatically recommend the least expensive test and treatment.

3.  Get your treatment pre-approved.
Pre-approval ensures appropriate coverage and ensure you have no concerns “after the fact.”

4.  Eliminate test duplication.
Refuse any pre-admission tests that have already been done in your doctor’s office.

5.  Avoid weekend and holiday admissions.
Unless your condition is an emergency, you will receive little or no medical care, but you will still be billed hundreds of dollars a day for your room.

6.  Ask your doctor if you can bring your own medication.
The hospital will charge you much more than your pharmacy for basic medications such as aspirin or acetaminophen. Ask your doctor to help you plan your medication needs in advance.

7.  Keep a daily log of tests, medications, and doctor’s visits.
Doing this will allow you to check the accuracy of your hospital bill. 

8.  Check your hospital bill
Carefully check your bill before you are discharged to make sure there are no mistakes.

Content provided by Geisinger Health Plan ~  2008