We know—and you probably agree—that an email about health insurance deductibles has the potential to be one of the most boring emails ever written. Right up there with a detailed explanation of printer settings.
But a recent patient interaction brought up a point that could be valuable to many of you, so stick with us!
A patient came in whom we hadn’t seen for a while and was happy to finally get his back pain taken care of. When we asked why he’d waited, he explained that he had recently met his insurance deductible. His coverage would now help more with the cost of his care, and he wanted to take advantage of that before the year ended and the whole process started over.
That’s a reminder worth sharing.
Deductibles can be frustrating for plenty of reasons:
- You pay for insurance every month… then pay more to use it. It’s like joining a gym and finding out the treadmill takes quarters.
- Understanding your benefits requires learning another language. Deductible, coinsurance, copayment, out-of-pocket maximum… We just wanted to know what an office visit costs! Fortunately, Joy has spent the last 20 years learning that language and would love to be your interpreter whenever you have questions.
- You finally meet your deductible and feel like you’ve accomplished something. Congratulations! Your prize is a slightly less stressful medical bill.
- Then the calendar flips and the counter resets. Apparently, your deductible has a New Year’s resolution to forget everything you accomplished together.
If you’ve already met your deductible, this could be the perfect time of year to address that back or neck pain you’ve been putting off. Your share of the cost for covered care may now be lower for the remainder of your plan year.
Meeting your deductible doesn’t necessarily mean visits are free—copays, coinsurance, visit limits, and other plan rules may still apply. Many deductibles reset January 1, although some plans follow a different schedule.
Give us a call at 480-488-1282, and we can help you check what your plan covers for care in our office.
You’ve already done the expensive part. If you’re in the same situation, now is a great time to put that coverage to work for the care you need—before your deductible develops amnesia.
Have a great afternoon,
Joy, Jen, Kim, Kathy, Coloradas, Maxfield, Dr Shriner and Dr Ring
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