Even before you meet your deductible, you may save hundreds of dollars in medical costs.

This is true if your plan is a PPO, an HMO, an EPO, or another kind of plan with a network of care providers.

How you save money before you meet your deductible

Insurance companies negotiate discounts with health care providers, and as a plan member you’ll pay that discounted rate. People without insurance pay, on average, twice as much for care.

This means when you use a network provider you pay less for the same services than someone who doesn’t have coverage – even before you meet your deductible.

• Sometimes these savings are small. If you’re insured and use a network provider, you may pay $25 for a flu shot instead of the $40 someone without coverage pays.

• In other cases the savings can be big. If use a network provider, you may pay $85 for an office visit instead of the $150 someone without coverage pays. Savings can be even higher for more expensive services.

So even if you don’t reach your deductible during the year, you can save a lot of money on your covered medical services just by being enrolled in an insurance plan.

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