BackStage Magazine
What happens when your health insurance runs out, or if you haven’t made quite enough money this year to qualify for your union’s health plan? Here’s a crazy idea: Ask your doctor for a cash discount. You could also ask your doctor for free prescription drugs, and there’s a good chance he’ll give them to you. It’s perfectly legit and legal — you just have to ask.
Over the years I’ve found myself sometimes with insurance and sometimes without it — a pretty typical situation for an actor. When I don’t have insurance, I say so up front and ask whether the doctor offers a cash discount.
For all the doctors I’ve visited, the answer has always been yes. Instead of paying the regular fee of $120, for instance, I’ve often paid $95, the cash price.
Moreover, once the doctor determines that I need a prescription, I’m apt to say, “I don’t have insurance right now. Is it possible you have any samples I might be able to use?” I ask because I know his cabinets are stuffed with samples given to him by pharmaceutical sales reps, and they’re just sitting there; if I don’t ask, he’ll just give them to someone else. In 10 years of doing this, I’ve been successful in getting at least my first dose of antibiotic, for example, about 90% of the time. Sometimes the doctor won’t have the drug I need, but every doctor has happily checked without hesitation each time I’ve asked. If you’ve used an antibiotic in recent years, you know how expensive they can be.
A few years ago, I found that my teeth were looking less than gleaming white, and as someone who makes part of his living by doing commercials, I wanted them whitened. But when I talked to my dentist about it, he quoted me a price of $500 — the cost of making a mold of my teeth, from which they create a custom-fitted tray to hold the teeth-whitening goo. The procedure is elective and not covered by insurance, and the price seemed excessive for my wallet. I wondered what my old dentist in Los Angeles charged for the same procedure, and found that it was exactly half. So the next time I was in L.A., I had my teeth whitened at the lower price. Moral of the story? If you have the luxury of time but not money, shop around and you may find a better deal.
According to the California Patient’s Guide of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California-based nonprofit education and advocacy group, “Everything is negotiable — with the HMO, the HMO doctor, the HMO hospital…. You’re paying the bills, not only as a consumer, but also as a taxpayer who helps fund the medical system.” In other words, you have a right to ask for what you want — including a lower price, particularly for procedures you can take or leave, such as teeth whitening.
If you decide to haggle with your healthcare providers, you won’t be alone. A Harris Interactive survey, published in March 2002, found that 17% of consumers have asked a pharmacist for a lower price; 13% have done the same with doctors, 12% with dentists, and 10% with hospitals. But here’s the most significant statistic: The survey found that roughly half of those who tried to negotiate a lower price were successful.
Of course, negotiating isn’t for everyone. I know many people feel squeamish about asking for a discount, maybe because they find it embarrassing, particularly if they’re turned down. But as actors, we’re already used to rejection. So I contend it’s worth risking a moment of embarrassment if you could end up saving quite a bit of money.
