Barter with your doctor
Before bringing it up, think about what your doctor might value. Boxer Wachler, for example, is a car enthusiast and has young children, so car services and photos worked well for him, but when a patient who is an artist offered free paintings in exchange for care, he declined.
“If you can’t afford care, just go for it,” Boxer Wachler says. “It can’t hurt to ask. The worst thing that will happen is the doctor says thanks for offering, but no thanks.”
Pay on credit
About half of Boxer Wachler’s patients pay on credit — often over 24 months with no interest. Ask your doctor if he or she has arrangements with credit companies and if not, ask if they would be willing to make them.
Negotiate with your doctor
When Christina McMenemy’s husband lost his job and health insurance, she negotiated a $40 fee for an office visit with her children’s pediatrician.
“You’d be surprised how many doctors, especially primary care physicians such as internists and pediatricians, will do this for their patients,” says Dr. Gail Gazelle, a patient advocate and assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School.
The book “My Healthcare is Killing Me” teaches you how to negotiate prices with hospitals, too.
Get financial assistance
The “Healthcare Survival Guide” has a state-by-state listing of resources that offer financial help for medical care.
Get discounted dental care, contact lenses and drugs
Read more here.
