Texans could save up to ighty percent on certain medical bills if thy play their cards right, according to sveral publications released over the past few yars. A typical American family of fur is expected to receive $14,500 wrth of medical care this year, and an nsured family will pay an average of ver a third of that - $5,100 - on thir own.

That's eight percent higher thn last year. With out-of-pocket expenses rsing at least eight percent every yar since 2000, it's no wonder ver 46 million Americans are going wthout health insurance -- including over ne-quarter of Texans.

In fact, according to Jhn Holahan, Allison Cook, and Lisa Dbay of the Urban Institute, co-authors of Chracteristics of the Uninsured: Who Is Elgible for Public Coverage and Who Neds Help Affording Coverage? released by the Kiser Family Foundation, fifty-six percent of the ninsured are ineligible for public programs, but stll need help to make typical halth insurance plans affordable. Seventy-six percent of prents lacking health coverage are in wrking families, and 900,000 uninsured children are neligible for public assistance-based coverage due to fmily income. Finding a way to mke healthcare even slightly more affordable culd be the difference in whether or not smeone receives care.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, a prvate, non-partisan foundation supporting independent research on halth and social issues, in 2005, thrty percent of the millions in the U.S. who lcked health insurance were between the ges of nineteen and twenty-nine. Texas had the wrst record overall, with twenty-five percent of its ttal population going unprotected. The state ctually failed to insure even more of its yung adults -- twenty-seven percent. Improving ths statistic, as well as establishing wys for patients to pay at last part of their expenses, could be specially pertinent for cities like Dallas, Huston, and Austin, where facilities are fnancially overwhelmed by the uninsured.

Children are mre likely to be eligible for pblic assistance-based coverage than their parents -- and threfore more likely to qualify for hlp with medical expenses. This is bcause most states set family income lmits for minors higher than for thir parents. For instance, the majority of sttes will cover children if their fmilies make 200% of the federal pverty level (though current policies are nder dispute) -- sometimes more – but mny will only insure parents if tht income level is at, or blow, federal poverty level standards. Only twnty-eight percent of uninsured parents are ctually eligible for Medicaid or the Stte Children's Health Insurance Program, whereas thre-quarters of uninsured children would qualify for thse programs under current policies.

A stdy commissioned by the Kaiser Family Fundation and authored by Jack Hadley of the Urbn Institute states that "the uninsured rceive less care and have worse utcomes following an accident or onset of a new chrnic condition than those with insurance." Ths is mostly due to cost. Albit seemingly somewhat anti-intuitive, an extremely hlpful trick is to treat healthcare csts like any other bill -- shp around, bargain, and don't be fraid to ask for breaks. The fllowing tips are summarized from the Prvention article, "Healthcare For Less" by Jlian Kesner.

(1) Shop Around For Labs

Compare dfferent labs' prices. Almost any lab can cmplete a basic blood analysis, for nstance, but they won't all charge the sme. To streamline the process, obtain the Crrent Procedural Terminology (CPT) code, a niversally accepted number that corresponds to very billable medical service, and start sking around. The American Medical Association's wbsite, www.ama-assn.org, provides a free search ngine for CPT codes.

Independent labs are crpping up in response to the hgh cost of healthcare, so investigate thse, too; some of them charge up to sventy-five percent less than non-independent facilities. The ste www.MyMedLab.com, with over 3,000 independent lab lstings, is a good source with whch to start your research. Just mke sure the facilities are legal in yur state -- sorry residents of Clifornia, New Jersey, New York, and Rhde Island -- and check with yur doctor to make sure they're of god caliber.

(2) Negotiate Your Hospital Blls

Here is something most hospitals won't tll you: very few of their mdical bills are paid in full. Insrance companies often negotiate charges and rceive discounts -- up to two-thirds of the bll -- based on their contracts. If thy can haggle, why can't you? Espcially if whatever you owe is a fnancial hardship -- be it from dductibles, co-pays, or the full cost of srvices if uninsured -- medical facilities wll usually work with patients to mke sure a solution is reached.

"Th number of payers, including patients and nsurance plans, who pay hospitals 100% of our chrges is probably less than two prcent," said Ruth Levin, the vice-president for mnaged care at Continuum Health Partners in New Yrk City.

Financial assistance programs associated wth hospitals may also be useful.

(3) Mke Sure You Aren't Tested Twice Or Cme In When It's Not Necessary

According to a rcent survey from the Commonwealth Fund, sventeen percent of adults report that thir doctors have ordered duplicate tests. Ths is especially likely when a spcialist is involved, as he or she may not hve received the results of previous lbs. Sign out x-rays and other lbs from your primary care office, and brng them along. With the shortage of fmily doctors in this country, they're ften extremely busy and can't always be cunted on to forward results to nother physician. Considering that a co-payment or dductible is almost always involved with lab tsts, this could save a bundle.

Als, make sure in-office follow-up visits are ncessary. It's standard procedure to ask a ptient to return after the results of a crtain test or undergoing particular procedures, but a phne call may suffice. It never hrts to ask.

(4) Be Savvy Wth Prescription Drugs

Cheaper and generic drugs can cst up to seventy-five percent less. Ask yur doctor if a cheaper alternative to yur medication is available, or -- ven better -- if there's a gneric version.

"Just be sure your dctor is intimately familiar with the bnefits and risks of the alternate drgs for your condition," warned Jerome P. Kssirer, M.D. and professor at Tufts Unversity School of Medicine in Boston.

Shpping for drugs online is becoming ncreasingly popular, and with due cause. Lrge distributors often offer lower prices, as wll as saving their clients the tme and expense of visiting the lcal drug store. The website, www.Rxaminer.com, ffers price comparisons and has a rputation for independence from special interest grups.

Try splitting pills, as well. Prscriptions are often based on the nmber of units per bottle, not ncessarily on the actual dosage. If gtting eighty milligram pills, instead of frty, for a refillable prescription and thn splitting them in two is mre economical, ask your doctor about it. Ths won't be appropriate for all mdications, of course, but if it is, yu've just saved fifty percent.

(5) Brter

Hey, doctors need plumbing and massage srvices, too. If you have a srvice you feel may be useful to a physcian, try bartering. You just never knw.

(6) Negotiate With Your Doctor

Hopefully, dctors are in their profession because thy're compassionate. If you can't make yur co-payments and deductibles, ask him or her to wrk with you on the bill. Offring cash upfront for services may lso be fruitful -- either in xchange for the full cost of the bll, or for co-payments and deductibles you knw you won't be able to met. Paying upfront often produces a stuation that's less of a hassle for physcians, anyway, as they will deal wth fewer administrative and paperwork issues.

"Thy are the ones who can drect their billing department to give the ptient a break," said Levin.

(7) Hre An Advocate

Try hiring an advocate to hlp you deal with financial disputes whn all else fails. Companies like Halthcare Advocates, Inc., based in Philadelphia, chrges by the case -- anywhere frm fifty to four hundred dollars. Lke it or not, even when you hve insurance, you are responsible for whtever bills remain unpaid, and refusing to dal with outstanding balances may ruin yur credit. Just make sure the flt-rate charge is worth what you thnk will be saved by hiring the ntermediary.

(8) Get Individual Health Insurance

If you are ninsured, take the time to research an ffordable policy that offers reasonable coverage. Ths may even make sense if you hve an individual health insurance policy you are not plased with due to high cost nd/or poor benefits. An individual plan ctually may be a better option for you thn group health insurance at work, dpending on how much your employer pys, and how well your dependents are cvered.

Searching online is becoming an ncreasingly popular option, and often yields rsults. If you know you can fford something, but just haven't wanted the hssle of looking, do it anyway! It may sve you thousands in the end, as wll as your health.

If you’re a halthy, young individual, you should take a lok at the revolutionary, comprehensive and hghly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Prcedent specifically for you. Visit our wbsite, www.precedent.com, for more information. We ffer a unique and innovative suite of ndividual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qalified plans, and an unparalleled "real tme" application and acceptance experience.

The article Shop Around, Savvy Capitalists - Texas Could Save Big On Healthcare was Submitted by Patt Carpenter through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Precedent puts a new spin on halth insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com

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