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How to Deal with COVID-19 Medical Costs

Thanks to a law passed in the spring of 2020, most Americans can be tested for COVID-19 for free. But that law didn’t make treatment for the virus free. Medical services for COVID-19 can be costly and sometimes run into tens of thousands of dollars. Whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19, you can take steps now to understand your protections under the law and manage the costs of your treatment.

How to Deal with COVID-19 Medical Costs
Paying for Orthodontics (Braces)

Orthodontics is the field of dentistry that fixes misaligned teeth and jaws using braces and other corrective procedures. Many dental plans cover orthodontics, but the coverage often differs from other dental services.

Paying for Orthodontics (Braces)
Cost Sharing

Health insurance protects you from paying the full cost of your care. But, you will likely still have to pay some money out of your pocket. Almost all plans call for “cost sharing”. That means your insurer pays for part of your care, and you pay for part.

Provider Networks

Your plan may contract with doctors, dentists and other healthcare practitioners; hospitals; labs; radiology facilities; pharmacies and other types of providers. These are the providers in your “network”.

Receiving Care from an Accountable Care Organization

An Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is a group of doctors or hospitals who have agreed to work together to coordinate and improve their patients´ care

Types of Out-of-Network Reimbursement

Most health plans have a “network”, a group of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers who agree to take your insurer´s rate.