I have a $2000 deductible on my health insurance, and scheduled for a minor surgery..?
Answer:
Pay to the clinic
When you have a deductible you don't make payments to your insurer...you make them to the provider of the health care.
And, yes, they almost always will work with you on a payment schedule.
Sometimes if you are shrewd enough, you may be able to negotiate a discount if you agree to pay the amount you owe on a very timely basis.
You don't pay directly to the insurance company. What they do is knock the discounts off if you are using a preferred provider (if you're in a PPO plan or HMO), then take the deductible out. The balance is paid at what is called coinsurance, usually between 50%-90%. You pay the remainder, the $2000 deductible and the difference between the approved and paid amount to the provider. And your deductible will normally come out of the first claim submitted, so be careful if they demand it up front.
example: $5000 total charge minus $200 discount = $4800. $4800 minus your deductible leaves $2800 paid at (for instance) 80% = $2240. You owe $2560 to the doctor or hospital.
If this is something that can wait until after the first of the year, check with your employer to see if they have healthcare reimbursement. They can take money out of your check each pay period to reach a certain amount, i.e. your deductible. You can use it immediately and not have to have the whole amount built up.
Sorry so long, and if it's too much info.
You will be paying the hospital and doctors, not the insurance co.
You don't pay the deductible to the insurance company, you pay it to the service provider.
The hospital should allow you to make payments, you'll have to talk to their billing office.
As many others have pointed out, it is correct you will be paying your deductible to the hospital and or doctors, not the insurance company. You might want to check with your hospitals billing office, some states for example California have programs that will pay for portions of medical costs depending on your income ET. Also, prior to going in for your procedure you should call around to several hospital/ surgery centers and compare pricing of the same procedure.
You pay to the service provider
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