One ‘Weird Trick’ to Avoiding Hospital Fees: Stay Out of the Hospital

While some illnesses are clearly unavoidable (as we are seeing) a large portion of hospital stays and medical procedures in this country are due to issues that could have been prevented if they were managed properly.

As Americans, we have unique access to a number of preventative health services that can keep us out of the hospital, therefore sidestepping the potential devastation that can come with an unexpected illness or procedure.

Sadly, there aren’t that many people that use these benefits, and an even more startling number of us who don’t even know that they exist.

Know the Benefits You’re Already Paying For

According to the guidelines laid out by the Affordable Care Act, there are a number of preventative and wellness-based services that are covered by your plan with no out-of-pocket costs. The goal of these services is to create a healthier population, which, ideally, would reduce the burden on the current healthcare system. It is one of the few tenets of the ACA that is designed to reduce costs for providers and patients alike.

Things like health screenings, annual check-ups, colonoscopies, mammograms, and mental health services are only a few examples of what is available. While these are the kind of things that can be easy to put off for a later date, getting them done the moment they are available to you is a good way to reduce your future risk, and hopefully keep you out of the hospital altogether.

(Anyone with a Health Savings Account should take note; staying healthy is the best way to minimize your HSA withdrawals).

If you are interested in seeing a more comprehensive list of the kinds of services that are covered according to the ACA, click here.

Yes, Health Sharing Programs Do Offer Preventative Benefits

While it varies from plan to plan, many health share plans offer the same preventative benefits as health insurance programs are required to provide. One of our most popular health share options, MPowering Benefits, covers all of the benefits that we listed above.

However it is important to note that some health share plans are designed exclusively for unexpected emergency care, and because of this they lack preventative care benefits.