Changes are coming to your insurance plan

If you haven't heard, almost every insurance company has been approved to increase your premiums in the up coming year.  As your premiums increase, you'll likely see an increase in your deductibles as well.  This means that you'll be paying for more of your services before your insurance company will start picking up the tab.  We can make this a gloom and doom situation or we can really look at the glaring positive that will come from it.  You'll now be choosing healthcare solutions based on their outcomes and their value instead of just because your insurance company will pay for it.

This maybe the closest situation to a free-market in health care as we have ever had.  You get to choose who helps you return to playing with your grandchildren or pressing weight over your head at the gym based on who does it best and most efficient.  Low value procedures, such as MRI and X-Ray, that will not help you return to your favorite activities will be utilized less...because they likely aren't going to help be a solution your problem.  

A good way to start saving money in the future is to skip the MRI, X-ray, and primary care Doctor visits for your low back pain.  Getting into a good Physical Therapist early is one way you can save a ton of time and a ton of money!  Virginia Mason, a well respected Medical Center,  started a program to help reduce the cost of health care...and it worked!  Check out this article in the Wall Street journal...from 2007!