How Care Setting Affects Your Cost

The best way to limit your costs is to make sure you are receiving the right care in the most appropriate setting. Receiving care at an outpatient facility (community clinics, physician practice) costs less than receiving the same care at a medical center. For instance, there's a big price difference between receiving care at an urgent care walk-in clinic to get stitches versus the medical center's emergency room (ER). Care in the ER is expensive and the charges will reflect that.

To keep your costs low, you now have more ways to access affordable care than ever before at Novant Health. You can receive care at a variety of new freestanding clinics - urgent care, extended care, express care along with walk-in clinics offered at a number of our primary care practices. E-visits and video visits are also options that will keep costs low. Accessing healthcare in your community has never been easier. And if you need to talk to a healthcare professional at 3 a.m., you can contact Novant Health care line to speak to a nurse.

What you can do to proactively manage your costs:

• Seek care in outpatient settings - your primary care provider's office or at a neighborhood walk-in clinic.
• For procedures, ask your physician if it can be done on an outpatient basis, which is usually less expensive.
• Ask to pay your share of the bill with a payment plan. Please keep in mind that an open balance has to be a minimum balance.