BCBSF

Did you know you can control how much you spend on health care? It's true! Here are a few tricks that can stretch your health care dollar:

Get preventive care. Don't pass on services like annual exams, screenings, and immunizations which can diagnose serious medical conditions early when they are more manageable - or prevent them entirely.

Stay in the network. Choose network providers who contracted with the insurance company to provide medical products and services at pre-negotiated, often discounted, rates.

Go generic. When you're prescribed new medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist if a generic alternative is available. Generic prescription drugs are approved by the FDA to be as safe and effective as their brand name equivalents, and can cost much less.

Compare costs. Make informed decisions by comparing the cost and quality of provider services in your area. BCBSF offers members free access to cost estimators through MyBlueService.

Choose the right care. Be smart about where you go for care. For example, the emergency room is much more expensive than an urgent care center for non-emergency care, and a free call to your plan's nurse line (if applicable) is no doubt a better value than a $20 physician visit. You can also schedule a less expensive e-visit with your doctor for non-urgent issues like prescription refills.

Be well. Reduce your risk for chronic conditions and diseases and lower your overall health care costs by improving your eating habits, physical activity, and your lifestyle choices. Most health plans offer free wellness programs on nutrition, weight management, and smoking cessation to help get you on a healthy path.

Use your plan. Many health plans offer value-added extras like discounts on health-related products, vision and hearing care, fitness memberships, and more. Find out what your plan offers and use it!