2 Questions to Ask Your Doctor That Can Save you Money

Written by Eric Bricker, M.D., guest writer

An October article in the New York Times reports on how the current economic situation is causing people to stop taking their medications.

I posted the following comment on that article's site:

There are many things that physicians can do to effectively lower the out-of-pocket costs for their patients without jeopardizing their health–prescribe a generic, do a more detailed physical exam to avoid a CT scan or MRI, enroll the patient in a medical assistance program (there are many sponsored by local governments, charities and yes, even drug companies).

For those who are struggling financially with their healthcare, please speak up. Ask your doctor, "how much is this going to cost?" "Is there a lower cost alternative that would work for me?" The article mentions Lipitor. The maker of Lipitor–Pfizer–has a pharmacy assistance program and there are $4/month cholesterol medications available at Walmart, Target and grocery store pharmacies that are effective as well. Many patients are afraid or embarrased to bring these questions up. Don’t be. Your doctor is not going to get mad.

This is one in a series of HealthHarbor articles contributed by Dr. Eric Bricker. Dr. Bricker is the Chief Medical Officer of Compass Professional Health Services, whose mission is to 'to enable consumers and employers to receive and purchase higher value healthcare.' Compass can be found online at www.compassphs.com