Overcoming Barriers to Discussing Out-of-Pocket Costs With Patients

Out-of-pocket health care costs.

How to reduce out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications.

The cost of prescription medicines has recently been rising faster than other healthcare costs.  This is also true for traditionally inexpensive generic medications that have long served as a fundamental healthcare safety net in the USA.  These changes increasingly present challenges for individuals to obtain common medications.  Owing to rising insurance co-pays, even patients who have prescri...

Patients' willingness to discuss trade-offs to lower their out-of-pocket drug costs.

reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium intake. There are various ways to improve intakes of minerals in the population. Adherence to dietary guidelines, with ample fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and lowfat dairy products, should be promoted. Food companies can help by promoting the availability of healthier foods and also by improving the type and content of minerals in their prod...

Educating patients critical to controlling out-of-pocket clinical laboratory test costs.

• Regardless, there is a wide disparity in costs between services delivered by independent providers— and those delivered by hospitalaffiliated facilities. For example, an independent clinical lab would charge $33 for a Complete Blood Count—vs. a hospital-affiliated lab’s charge of $45; $53 for a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), which includes 14 basic chemistry tests consisting of glucose,...

Six strategies to identify and assist patients burdened by out-of-pocket prescription costs.

Many patients find that their out-of-pocket costs of medications are burdensome. Physicians can help, first by remembering to ask about the problem, and then by applying simple strategies to limit the patient's costs.