FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 4, 2019 • HEALTH • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
health
7 steps to health care cost savings
Health care is more complicated than
ever. With rising premiums and diff erent
levels of coverage, it can be confusing
to know what you can aff ord when it
comes to wellness visits, urgent care and
prescriptions.
Here are some simple ideas that could
help you save on health care.
1. Get informed. If you have health
insurance, make sure you understand
what’s covered, especially if you are diagnosed
with a chronic condition such as
diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension.
If something is not clear or you are
unsure about what’s covered, call your
insurance carrier and make sure they
provide you with the answers you need.
2. Save on your prescriptions. If you
are uninsured, or your insurance doesn’t
cover certain prescription medications,
an Inside Rx card may be an option for
you. Th e card is not insurance but a free
discount prescription card that provides
savings off select brand prescription
medications and generic medications.
Th ere’s even a card for your pet’s prescriptions.
Download the card on your
phone and show it to your pharmacist to
see if you can benefi t and how much you
could save. Eligibility requirements and
a complete list of the medications off ered
can be found at InsideRx.com.
3. Shop around. You could save money
by researching which pharmacy off ers
the best deal in your area. Inside Rx can
also help you fi nd the best deal for your
specifi c medication at a pharmacy close
to you if you are using the discount card.
Also, discuss with your doctor if switching
to a generic medication is an option
for you; this could save you money when
purchasing your medications.
4. Utilize your provider’s online platform.
If your healthcare provider off ers
an online medical records system, log
in and check to make sure you are up to
date on vaccines, boosters, wellness visits
and screenings. Check your insurance
coverage before scheduling, but don’t
delay on any of these, as the cost to your
wallet and your health could be greater
if issues are left untreated. Identifying
problems early keeps you healthy and
saves you money down the road.
5. Take advantage of wellness plans.
If your employer off ers a wellness plan,
participate. You may get perks such as
partial coverage of gym memberships
with some employers’ plans. Talk to your
employer’s human resources offi ce about
health savings or other plans that may
be available to save you out-of-pocket
costs. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
to make sure you understand how the
plans work.
6. Don’t delay treatment. If you’ve been
diagnosed with a condition that requires
treatment or medication, don’t put off
starting your treatment. Talk with your
doctor about any fi nancial concerns.
7. Plan for medical bills. Just as you
would ask a mechanic to estimate the
cost of service on your car ahead of
time, don’t be afraid to ask providers
what services will cost. Many providers
will work with you to arrange a payment
plan when a medical bill is not covered
by your insurance, or if you are uninsured
or have a high deductible. Don’t be
afraid to negotiate.
Rather than waiting for issues to arise,
take charge of your health and plan for
your health care related costs. While you
can’t prepare for everything, you can
give yourself every advantage by being
informed, using the resources available
and asking questions.
Courtesy BPT
Elmhurst Hospital program to help boost local prenatal care
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, in
partnership with Centering Healthcare
Institute, launched a new program for
pregnant women aimed at reducing
preterm births and encouraging greater
patient engagement during the prenatal
experience.
Th e program will feature group pregnancy
visits with obstetricians, networking
with other pregnant women, group
discussions, and prenatal wellness and
education classes on nutrition, stress management,
and breastfeeding. Improving
maternal health has been a central focus
of the de Blasio administration, and this
eff ort builds on the eff orts undertaken by
NYC Health + Hospitals to ensure safe
maternity care at all its hospitals.
“We are excited to off er expectant mothers
an opportunity to share their experience
with other new mothers and learn
together about many topics they oft en
have to navigate alone,” said Israel Rocha,
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO.
“Th ese prenatal group care sessions have
been proven to help patients improve
their self-confi dence, decrease rates of
preterm and low-weight babies, and contributes
to the reduction of racial disparities
in preterm birth.”
All pregnant women are eligible to participate
in the group care sessions and
will be asked to join during their initial
prenatal visit unless their pregnancy
shows signs of being or becoming very
high-risk.
Th e sessions, which will begin at about
16-20 weeks gestation, will occur every
four weeks until 28 weeks and then
increase to every two weeks until delivery.
Each session will include eight to 12
patients and run between 90-minutes to
two-hours, including the visit with their
OB/GYN, eliminating any wait time.
All expectant mothers in one care
group will be seen by the same OB/GYN,
which will enhance the discussion portion
of the group as well as the relationships
made. Th e Centering Healthcare
Institute provides curriculums that physicians
will follow to ensure they are covering
all topics ranging from nutrition
to common discomforts, stress management,
labor and delivery, breastfeeding,
infant care, and more.
Th e Centering Healthcare Institute’s
“Centering Pregnancy” initiative complements
existing NYC Health + Hospitals
maternal and infant health programs,
which includes home visits provide assistance
with breastfeeding techniques, parenting
and child-care skills for the growing
family, postnatal care for mom and
infant, specialized services for babies born
with abnormalities who require additional
care, and specialized care for moms
who continue to experience post-partum
complications.
The new group care “Centering
Pregnancy” initiative also builds on the
city’s signifi cant commitment to improve
maternal health with increased screening
for maternal depression through
the Th riveNYC Maternal Depression
Learning Collaborative, and the creation
of the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
Review Committee, which reviews deaths
and severe complications related to pregnancy
and childbirth. In 2016, New York
City became the fi rst municipality in the
nation to establish a severe maternal mortality
surveillance program.
Funding for implementation of the
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s
Centering program came from a grant
from the NYC Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene, as part of the agency’s
NYC Birth Equity initiative.
For more information, call NYC Health
+ Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology at 718-334-
5410.
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