Billing and Payment: Understanding Cash Payment

But while most people are most aware of this payment system, it is totally possible to pay cash for your medical services. However, if you plan to do this you should know that you might be in a lot more complications.

For one, each doctor might charge a different charge for the same service. If you have insurance, your provider knows how much they are going pay up front for the service. This might be a percentage or a flat dollar amount. Once this cost is covered, the doctor may be required to forgive the rest of it. Of course, the charges are passed down to you as the client.

And insurance providers might also negotiate with the doctor to pay for certain costs as well. This is, perhaps, the most important thing you need to remember if you want to make cash payments for your health care.

Indeed, if you work a cash system you should have a strategy for negotiating your costs. Doctors are in business to provide a medical service to people who need them; a hospital is there to provide the best access to these medical services. Maybe you get all of your work done with a particular clinic or hospital. That means your services are all to the same company. Like most businesses, your loyalty may have a great reward in the form of discounts.