Is it just us or is insurance the first one in line to raise your premiums and the last to want to pay for the doctors medical care? Don’t get us wrong, we know insurance is a great solution for some. However, I think we can all agree insurance has gotten convoluted and complex. Deductibles, out of pocket, in network, out of network, co-insurance, authorizations, allowable, blah blah blah. They all seem like fancy ways of saying “you aren’t covered.” Much like tax law complexity needing special tax attorneys, CPAs or computer algorithms to file your taxes, so has insurance. Doctors’ office’s need billing specialists to understand how to file or fight a patient’s claim, and even THEY can’t seem get insurance to pay for your medical needs.
Here’s the tricky part…insurance is a great solution for some folks. Yet, for others…well, that’s up to you to decide. At Align Foot & Ankle, we believe THE PATIENT should decide what is best for them, both medically and financially. On the medical side, Dr. Barnett provides many traditional and advanced options, some covered by insurance, some not (even though we believe they should be). But on the monetary side, we never want to cause a financial burden to for our patients. We believe that with all the information, our patients can make the medical & financial decisions that best suit your needs. We made a diagram to better illustrate this.
Cash options allow for more effective and efficient treatment, often with less visits and less out-of-pocket cost. Dr. Barnett and his team are experts at not only clinical treatments, but also helping develop a cost analysis plan to see which route is best for the patient. Not always is cash the best route, but depending on someone’s pain level, insurance policy, and lifestyle, sometimes paying cash can not only save you time but also a lot of money. Align is upfront about all treatments, cost, and will help you build a roadmap to recovery without breaking your wallet in the process. See the example below of a patient with an ankle sprain.
At Align Foot & Ankle, we are passionate about the topic of insurance because WE have been the patient. Insurance drives medical decisions and doctors often find themselves stuck doing what insurance decides whether they agree or not. We reject that. We think a patient should be able to see the doctor they want, when they want, without stipulations, costly premiums, deductibles, co-pays & out-of-pocket costs. So what happens if you take out the bossy middle-man (aka, insurance)? Will you end up paying more? More often than not, we think NO. We are fighting back against insurance rising costs & limited treatment options, for our patients. No hidden costs or bills 6 weeks AFTER you were seen. Just see the doctor & pay for the service, like before insurance became king. We know knowledge is power & we want to inform our patients enough to decide on their own. New medical techniques, old ways of practicing. We hope it catches on!
Stay tuned for more on this topic…
