ASR Healthcare Choices offers information to help you plan for your health-care journey. Here are some highlights

1. Cost estimated to compare prices for typical services at different doctors, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, hospitals, urgent care clinic, and many more types of medical professionals.
2. Treatment time lines for typical procedures, including cost breakdowns and opportunities to save at non-hospital vs. hospital settings
3. Condition information with an in-depth look at common health problems

With this information, you can have more informed conversations with your doctor and make better health-care choices

Health conditions, treatments and procedures were chosen based on the following factors:

1. The most common conditions and treatments.
2. What users search for most often
3. Where users spend the most on medical care
4. When users can save time and money

Click on the address listed at the top right corner of the Dashboard, enter the desired address in the pop-up box, and click on “Yes, this is correct”.

Select Estimate your costs on the Dashboard and type the name of the treatment, condition, or procedure in the search box. Select the desired treatment or procedure from the drop-down menu.

After you have selected your treatment or procedure, click “more filters,” enter the maximum distance in miles, and click on “Get results”.

The average price listed is the average cost that your health benefit plan pays for treatments and procedures before your benefits are applied.

The cost for surgery and other types of health care are very different depending on where you go and who you see. By comparing prices at various hospitals and clinics, you may be able to greatly reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

ASR reviewed costs for procedures, tests, visits and prescription drugs most commonly used in treatments and developed averages and frequencies for each. A thorough understanding of the healthcare system and population health helped develop the total payments for treatments and procedures, as well as the aggregate cost-estimate information.

You can save by comparing costs ahead of time! For example, if you have an upcoming surgery, your greatest expense will be the hospital or clinic charge. You can save significant amount depending on where you go to have surgery. If you have already chosen your surgeon and facility, you can compare costs on MRIs, X-rays, medical equipment, and physical therapy to save money on your treatment. You can also review what is commonly done and ask your surgeon what is necessary in your case.

ASR may not have enough claims data or cost-estimate information to accurately estimate how much the doctor will charge for a procedure. Not all doctors, clinic and hospitals are listed in cost searches.

Select Estimate your cost on the Dashboard and click on Browse costs below the search box.

Inpatient Hospitals are licensed or formally approved hospitals that offer round-the-clock health-care services to patients who require overnight hospital stays. Inpatient hospital accreditation programs include the Joint Commission, The Nation Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO), and the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP).

Surgery Centers may be run by doctors or large health-care companies. They offer a wide variety of medical procedures to patients who do not require overnight medical care. Accreditation programs include the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and the Joint Commission.

Outpatient Hospitals are run by licensed or formally approved hospitals. Like surgery centers, they offer a wider variety of services to patients who do not require overnight hospital stays. Outpatient hospital accreditation programs include the Joint Commission, NIAHO, and CHAP.

Not necessarily. While ASR makes every effort to display in-network health-care providers, your health benefit plan may contain special provisions. ASR recommends the best practice of always checking that your provider is in-network and that any anticipated service is covered under your plan.

ASR’s estimates include the most common medical charges- including professional, facility, and supply costs – from the check-in to checkout. Since medical situations and actual health-care services received can vary, however, the actual charges could be greater or less than the estimate. Additionally, many of the cost estimates are for bundled health-care services, but you may receive separate bills for individual components of the care you received. For example, after a surgery, you could receive separate bills for the surgical procedure, radiology, anesthesia, surgery center, medical supplies, and more.

Your estimate includes costs only for the treatments you are likely to have during a procedure. Additional treatment could result in additional cost. Depending on your health benefit plan, you may have to pay some or all of any additional costs.

Visit www.asrhealthbenefits.com or call 800.968.2449 for assistance.