Here's a piece on how some people are using technology to save on health care costs courtesy of ARA Content:
The cost of healthcare in the United States has reached all-time highs. Individuals without health insurance coverage find themselves putting off a trip to the doctor to save money. Even consumers lucky enough to have health coverage are feeling the pinch.
Insurance co-pays continue to rise, and many companies are switching to health savings accounts, where employees put money into an account they can use to cover medical expenses. More and more, it pays to know the cost of your medical care before you head to the doctor.
Allison Scott has created a Web site that makes it easy for consumers to go directly to medical providers to get answers before they ever head to the doctor’s office. “I wanted to find a way to help patients make more educated healthcare decisions,” she says.
The Web site, Alijor.com, puts users in touch with doctors in their community. Individuals can post information about their condition, as well as other pertinent details on the site. Doctors can then respond with detailed information about their costs and services. The site is a convenient, hassle-free way for patients to find healthcare providers. Alijor.com also makes it easy for providers to find and communicate with patients they can assist.
“As health care costs rise, doctors are spending less time with each patient in the doctor’s office,” notes Scott. “On the Web site, patients can go into as much detail as they like about their problem, there’s no need to rush through the process.”
It takes less than 10 minutes to register on the site, and the process is completely confidential. Consumers choose a username and provide their ZIP code, but no other personal information is required. The site walks users through a questionnaire including information such as whether the patient will be paying cash or billing through insurance, how far the patient is willing to travel and the best days and times for appointments.
Once that information is provided, the patient describes their condition or the service they’re looking for. The request will be posted on the site for 14 days and doctors in the patient’s geographic area reply directly to them. Over 800 providers are currently part of the Alijor Web site. “The responses from the healthcare providers can give patients options they may not have considered, such as seeing a chiropractor instead of an orthopedic surgeon for a back problem or an acupuncturist instead of a neurologist for headaches,” says Scott.
Patients can also read profiles of the healthcare providers that highlight their background and experience. This information is helpful in making an informed decision. Another helpful tool on the site is feedback from other members who have used healthcare providers they found at Alijor. “Members can hear about previous patients’ experiences with a provider, as well as share information about similar symptoms or needs,” says Scott.
Take control of your healthcare costs. To create your personal profile and find a healthcare provider, visit www.Alijor.com.
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We're going to need to get more and more creative in the battle against health care costs. Otherwise, they're just going to keep going out of site. Ideas like this seem to be a step in the right direction and I expect to see more and more of them pop up in the years to come (though I also think there will be a process of adoption -- that it will take some time for people to latch on to new concepts like this one.)
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