Hospitals negotiate fees with health plans continuously. A similar strategy may work for you, especially if you are uninsured. If you have no insurance coverage or need to pay some hospital fees, it will be helpful to speak with the hospital business office or finance department. Either you or your medical mentor can have the discussion. First, let the hospital know you are aware that their published charges are not the same as the rates the insurance companies pay them. And, as a customer, you expect, at the very least, to be charged no more than the average rate a health insurer would reimburse the hospital for the service. Before the discussion, look up the average cost on the American Hospital Directory Web site, which provides hospital information through free and subscription-based services.

The fact that hospitals charge uninsured patients the rate on their charge master is not malicious. Federal law actually requires the hospital to charge you its published fee—unless you, the patient, initiate negotiations to reduce the fee. You can and should use this information to negotiate the price for your healthcare services.