Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Page 10 You Can Y How much will your doctor charge for a surgical operation? His fee will depend on a number of things such as the length of time he must spend with you, the severity of the operation and may even depend on your financial condition. But it is important for yuu to Know now mucn nis Tee will be for any surgical operation he is going to perform and the only way you can find out is to ask him how much he will charge. Some doctors set their fees partly according to a patient's "ability to pay." This means that your income and general financial situation are taken into consideration. Most doctors give freely of their time and skill to patients who are unable to pay anything. In anv event, they will try to be completely fair. You Can Help 1. Discussing fees with your doctor. Come to an understanding with your doctor as to what you expect. 2. Request care in the office or as an out-patient at the hospital for tests, illness, or injuries that can be treated in this way. 3. Question what appears to be unnecessary hospital treatment or luxury charges. 4. Request that your doctor release you from the hospital as soon as practical. You can rely on your doctor to be completely candid with you. Be equally frank with him. Doing so will avoid financial misunderstandings when you receive a bill for services performed. Who Really Pays? Hospital services are expensive. They are increasing at a rate far greater than any other costs in our area. The increase in hospital services has a direct impact on our insurance costs. When hospital services are truly needed. and the costs and cost increases are reasonable, no one would strongly object to paying them. However, when someone with hospital insurance uses extra hospital time and services when they are not needed, the "free ride" costs. In the first place, they are wasting money that is earmarked to pay for hospital confine ment for necessary care. Hospital insurance will often pay for those extra days, but only because it is flexible enough to cover even unusa! situations. It is not intended to pay for a hospital "vacation." Many people mistakenly believe that our health insurance is like some kind of magic purse?vou contrihutp a fev*/ Hniiarc .r. miums each year, and you take out all you want in benefits. But it's not magic! Our insurance carrier does not make two dollars mmamm PHLM lelp Hold Dowi If you g< don't I mm***. *** ^ luuui ur condition do to pay for insurance pi cosi out of one dollar. The same dollars you, your fellow employees, and your company pay in premiums come back to us in the form of benefit dollars. Your fellow employees who did NOT have to use their benefits that year are helDinp vnn hpar thp rnctc , 0 J ? ,w When someone is unnecessarily hospitalized, makes excessive or unneeded visits to a doctor, orders drugs he or she doesn't need, etc., every member of the group is hurt by this unwarranted expense. It's up to you! Your company wants every employee to If you insis A 1 ' on ine extr; be preparec to pay for i i Group Insuri > to the hospital liave to, or get a a private nurse v lesn't warrant it, it. Remember, j Ian covers only tl ts that are necess receive the best possible health care, whenever they need it. Clinton employees have excellent coverage and as such it deserves the full support and personal protection of each member of our team. Is there any way to be sure you are properly using your hospital insurance and not abusing it? Rely on your doctcr's judgment. Don't coax him to admit you to the hospital, let him be the first to say so. When he tells you that you are wen enough to go home, that is the time to leave. Now you know who really pays the bill?it them. H mmJ uil ci nee Costs when you private /hen your , be prepared * our group liose medical ary. is you and your company. You can help by being a committee of one to see that benefits are properly used and never, never abused. is I / 1 K flJHPflBMIB/vftfcT % TBpfc-w. Carol King, daughter of Coordinator of Health and Safety and Mrs. Sonny King, is featured in a full page advertisement in the Clemson Orange Aids, the official flpm?nn.manio 1 ? ?w?.. miiiu \ nian/^UU of Clemson University. Carol, a senior at Clemson, is a M.S. Bailey Scholar. She is majoring in elementary education and is active in numerous social and academic activities.