More than 70% of U.S. adults feel the healthcare system is failing to meet their needs in at least one way, according to new data from a Harris Poll. If you ask us, that sounds scary. Patients deserve to pay for services that meet their needs and one of the major hang-ups that patients need help with is unclear pricing.
From expensive and obscure costs to unfriendly and uncomfortable encounters with healthcare staff, it truly can feel like a trying experience when entering the medical industry for whatever your needs may be. When it comes to critical healthcare concerns such as surgical procedures it can be unavoidable if you truly need to care.
Why Can’t Patients Find Procedure Costs?
Patients have been long since complaining about the lack of healthcare coverage health insurance provides when they have employer-provided or self-employed or self-provided health coverage. It seems like name-brand insurance doesn’t truly provide the coverage that patients want, while employers are paying premiums for them, so neither employers nor employees are happy with coverage or cost.
Statistics show that 91.4% of the US population has health coverage in comparison to 99 to 100% of the population who have healthcare coverage in other industrialized countries. When it comes down to it, patients make surgical decisions based on the cost of what their surgery will be.
But this information is tightly gatekept when it comes to letting patients in on the cost. Many patients find themselves googling “How much does my surgery cost?” only to get a vague range that doesn’t provide an exact amount.
When patients reach out to their insurance companies, they typically tell patients that they will be responsible for a certain percentage of the cost based on their current yearly deductible without providing the exact numbers. This leads patients to reach out to the location such as a hospital or clinic, where they plan on receiving surgical services. The clinic will tell patients to ask their insurance company and that will lead to connecting with the clinic’s billing department, and billing will tell the patient they will receive a call back later.
Why can’t patients find procedure costs? Why is it so hard for patients to understand what they will be paying for, especially when it’s as important as surgery? When patients do receive costs they are typically just estimates and don’t normally include facility fees, anesthesia fees, post-operative appointments, and all of the other fine-tuned details built into the process of receiving surgery.
Even when patients find the cost of their procedure, it’s difficult to compare pricing at an alternative clinic or hospital because it is a time-consuming process. So what can patients do to find out about the cost?
Upfront Affordable Pricing with Smith
Smith Medical Surgical Specialty Care focuses on upfront pricing for all of our surgical services. This isn’t a vague estimate of what services may cost, instead, it is an all-inclusive insurance-free price point that includes everything you may need as a patient at Smith Medical. This includes testing and initial diagnostics, follow-up appointments, pre-op checkups, anesthesia pre-op appointments, day-of surgical care, and post-operative check-ups.
Smith Medical Direct Specialty Care offers self-pay-patients direct medical treatment from providers at a reduced cost, instead of relying on traditional medical insurance. This eliminates recurring financial obligations such as deductibles, high premiums, and the need for insurer approval of surgical treatments.
More patients are seeking alternative healthcare options due to limited insurance coverage, self-insurance, or a desire to find the best surgeons, rather than sticking to in-network providers.
At Smith Medical, we have a single price point for every surgical service we provide, that way there are no unexpected costs, hidden fees, or unpredictable pricing.
From low insurance coverage to high-cost private insurance, Smith Medical stands as a direct medical option for those looking to undergo surgery. Learn more by contacting Smith Medical today.