With the skyrocketing cost of medical care, everyone should know useful strategies to lower their medical bills. A few are listed below.

Tip 1:

Learn as much as you can about your illness. Take advantage of the many educational resources your doctor offers (such as pamphlets), search the Web for health information, or visit your local library. The better informed you are about your condition, the better your outcome will likely be. If you suffer from a chronic illness, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor will want to see you periodically. However, the better your disease is controlled, the less frequent your follow up visits will be (up to a point, of course). For instance, an ideal blood pressure is 119/79 or lower. A patient who consistently runs 160/95 or higher will need more frequent visits to the doctor to allow monitoring of the blood pressure and adjustment of the medical regimen than a patient who generally runs a blood pressure of 115/75. In the first case, the doctor may want routine visits every 2-3 months, while in the latter, every 6 months may be deemed adequate.

Tip 2:

Learn the policies of your doctor's office. Simple things can save valuable time and money.

* See if your doctor has 'phone appointments' which will allow you have a detailed conversation with your doctor without taking off work, driving across town (spending gas and time), and then waiting for your appointment.
* Find out the policy on medication refills. Chances are, you may not need an appointment every time you need a refill on a medication for a chronic illness.
* If you have a minor illness, such as symptoms of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection or a cold, leave a message for your doctor to call you back. Alternatively, speak with the nurse and give her your symptoms and concerns. In clear cut cases, doctors frequently have their nurse call in treatment to a pharmacy without requiring that the patient be seen.
* Ask about the policy on filling out forms, such as a yearly health certification for your job. If you just had a yearly physical two months ago, your doctor probably will not require that you make an appointment for another one just so he can fill out paperwork. More likely than not, just mailing him the form will be adequate.

Tip 3:

Request generic alternatives to more expensive medications, if appropriate. Your doctor will evaluate each situation and determine if there is a suitable, less expensive alternative to treat your illness. The most popular, newest (and most expensive) drug on the market may well take care of your symptoms, but chances are there are several other drugs that will also do the trick. It never hurts to ask. There is nothing to be ashamed about. Doctors are well aware of how expensive medications can be. Your doctor would much rather prescribe an affordable medication than an expensive one you never get filled.

Author's Bio: 

Dr. Hester is a board certified internal medicine specialist and founder of PatientSchool.net. She is also the developer of a unique personal health record keeping tool on USB flash drive, called My Medical Journal.