Let's Make a Deal

One of the frustrating aspects of struggling with a serious illness is dealing with financial matters. Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to work with and it requires hours and hours to comb through policies, bills, and statements to stay on top of it.

You might be interested in knowing about a relatively new company called PriceDoc.com. It operates a commercial website that helps consumers obtain discounted prices and reduced fees for healthcare procedures. PriceDoc.com is not a direct supplier of these services; instead it provides consumers comparative pricing information for various medical, dental, vision, chiropractic, cosmetic, and allied health and elective procedures. You type in a desired service, and a list of providers pops up with background information, credentials, and a list of what each procedure costs.

The Huffington Post reported about a young woman without dental insurance who wanted "Invisalign" braces. She called two dentists in her area for price quotes, searched pricedoc.com and found a price that was lower than the other two dentists- plus an option to "Make An Offer". She did, won the bid - and ended up saving $1700.

Now, you probably aren’t going to get your chemo costs down, but you still have other health costs – from dental work to eye exams and you may find this to be a helpful way to lower your overall medical expenses. It’s too soon to tell if this will be worth it, but I’d love to hear if you have any experience with the site.