If a layoff is imminent and the time left on your health insurance
is short, be selective about what medical care you have performed.
Follow these tips:
- Do schedule screenings, like teeth and eyes, but don't have every test under the sun performed. Some tests (i.e., mammograms) might turn up something that will make it difficult for you to get reasonably priced insurance in the future if you're diagnosed with a pre-existing condition. Hold off on elective tests or screenings that could show a serious illness until you have a new job with health insurance, advises Delia Chiaramonte, M.D., a Baltimore, Maryland, patient advocate.
- Do get immunizations--for you and your children. Take care of this while your insurance is still paying. Check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov/vaccines) about the correct adult immunization schedule.
- Do talk to your doctor about paying lower fees. In this economy, this isn't unheard of or rude. Just make sure to negotiate with the correct person, says Michelle Katz, author of 101 Health Insurance Tips. Talk to the person who makes the decisions at your physician's practice.
--Kendra Lee
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