Health Care - Savings Ideas

[gwraigty]

@alchemista

For example, if you have any type of cold-like symptoms for over 2 weeks - most likely your doctor is going to prescribe you antibiotics and charge you for a full office visit. Antibiotics themselves are usually cheap - but you just need a prescriber to give you a script.

Any ideas?

I hear what you’re saying. It costs us over $100 for an office visit, too. Sometimes we’ve been able to avoid that by using an herb called Osha in extract form. It’s nasty-tasting stuff that’s supposed to act like a systemic antibiotic, especially good for respiratory infections. It has worked for us on occasion. Common sense applies though. If we don’t feel better within a day or two, it’s off to the doctor we go. We’ve probably saved a few hundred dollars avoiding office visits this way.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice.

[alchemista]

[quote=“Ma_Barker, post:42, topic:237, full:true”]

@alchemista

Yes, but I’m wondering about going to a professional to get the proper prescription.
[/quote]Valid point.

To answer your question, have you checked Teladoc? our employer offers this although we’ve never tried it yet; according to terms, we pay $20 per consult which is cheaper than our co-pay to see our primary.

I was thrilled to see my employer offering teladoc next year. The cost is no more than $40, and they can prescribe! This is a major step toward affordability unless it’s good to be true. I’m curious if someone has tried it.

I’m also wondering if this can be used as a substitute for establishing a regular relationship with a doctor, therapist, specialist, etc. I checked the teladoc website and it seems that they are recruiting both general physicians as well as behavioral health doctors and saying that all can prescribe. That could be hundreds or thousands of savings a year if you have a condition requiring regular visits or medications.

[Griz]

@alchemista

I was thrilled to see my employer offering teladoc next year. The cost is no more than $40, and they can prescribe! This is a major step toward affordability unless it’s good to be true. I’m curious if someone has tried it.

My mom’s a doctor, she looked into it from the other side, she decided not to go with it because there’s too much liability and no good way to really diagnose. Also happens to be here in IL you gotta know your patient for a year before they can use these type of services. For certain things (re-ups, quick check-ins, etc) she thinks it can work, saves both sides tons of time, but when she trialled it that’s not how patients used it.

[TravelerMSY]

A family member is a remote Dr. for HealthTap. They will handle you if they can do so remotely. If not, the call will end with a referral to a professional that can. It’s not a substitute for seeing a Dr. in person due to the inability to do a physical exam.

It does seem appropriate for stuff like medication management for blood pressure or tweaking cpap machine settings, etc. Tempted to try it but a visit to my regular Dr, is roughly the same price and a block away.