Medicine in the USA is not accessible to everyone, although it is really on a good level. People visit The United States from all over the world to get the best medical care and experience the latest achievements of medical science.
Every patient should know:
Everyone, even young people, is waiting for the dentist’s appointment till the last. Many people go toothless because even dental insurance does not cover 100% of the costs of treatment. A fairly expensive dental insurance covers only $1000-1500 annually. The cost of a filling is about $300. So you can cure 3-5 teeth a year with insurance, the rest is paid by yourself. In Los Angeles, it is considered normal to go for dental treatment in Mexico and Cuba.
If you need a doctor’s consultation, you have a cold, you need a referral for tests or a prescription, you can visit low-cost clinics. They will serve you without an insurance policy. It is easy to find them. Just type community health care or community hospital in the Internet search bar and choose the one that suits you best.
Another option is to use the walk-in-clinic. These are private institutions. That is, at the doctor’s appointment you will have to wait in line, the service will be average, but you will certainly be provided with professional assistance. Fortunately, the bill will not be sky-high. For example, you need to do the simplest procedure. At the hospital, it cost $600, and at the clinic $130.
There are also free clinics that operate through private donations. For example, the Virginia Charity Clinics Association has over a thousand such institutions. They explained to us that only a resident of a low-income state who has lived in the United States for more than a year and has no insurance can become their patient. Moreover, the right to service is played out in the so-called monthly lottery. If you are not lucky, you can try your luck in another similar clinic or try it next month.
In America, there are a number of social programs that can help pay for your hospital bill. So, even once in a large hospital, you can significantly reduce the price of medical care. For example, the network of New York clinics Health + Hospitals offers a whole system of subsidies for people with low income. The main requirement is to indicate the level of income and the number of family members living with you. In accordance with these data, the amount that you owe to the hospital is determined. Thus, the bill can be reduced several times.
If there are no such programs, but the patient still has to visit the hospital, you need to carefully look at what you are asked to pay for. There are statistics showing that about 90% of hospital bills are very overestimated. The most important thing to reduce the bill for treatment is to request a detailed check from the hospital. If you find a mistake there, immediately try to appeal it. First, visit the hospital directly, if it doesn’t help, consult a lawyer.