Reducing the Costs of Senior Health Problems

Aging brings an increase in medical conditions. An increase in medical conditions means more health insurance usage, additional co pays, and more out of pocket medical expenses incurred. If you deal with chronic or multiple medical conditions, it is possible that you are spending a good portion of your monthly income on these costly expenses. However, there are ways to find reduced medical supplies and to cut the costs of these needed medical items.

Work with your health insurance
Health insurance, sometimes, provide added benefits that consumers are not aware of. Your health insurance policy may cover the expense of some of your needed medical supplies. This is especially true if the medical equipment is deemed necessary by your medical provider. Your health insurance company may cover things like free catheters, breast feeding supplies, and even CPAP sleeping machines. Work with your specific coverage to understand the terms of policies of obtaining these items from the medical supplier.

Medical supplier specific programs
You might also find that the supplier of your needed medical items have discount programs. These are programs for their frequent customers. If you constantly purchase something like closed system catheters, a discount program might provide you with free catheters often. Request additional information about discount or frequent customer programs with your medical supplier. You can also request information from your physician about low income medical supply programs.

Take care of the supplies you have
Taking great care of your current medical supplies will extend their usage. Not only will proper cleaning of free catheters reduce your monthly costs, but it will also prevent infection from occurring. Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI?s) are the most common type of healthcare associated infections, accounting for more than 30% of healthcare associated infections reported by acute care hospitals. Virtually all healthcare associated urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by instrumentation of the urinary tract (e.g. insertion of catheters). If you are met with frequent UTIs from a lack of cleaning, you will pay even more for medical visits and emergency care visits.

Another great way to cut costs on medical supplies is to invest in quality cleaning products. Many medical supplies, including catheters and catheter bags, need to be regularly cleaned. You should clean your leg bag every day and replace it when the doctor tells you, this is usually twice per month or once every week. Use your high quality cleaning products every night for best results. When you are ready to go to sleep, change out the leg bag and put on the drainage bag. Rinse out the leg bag with 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water. Soak the bag for 20 minutes. Rinse the bag out with warm water and hang it up to dry. Keeping up with this routine will make them last longer and prevent infections.

Purchase medical supplies online
The internet has opened up our availability of shopping opportunities. When you buy catheters online, you receive many advantages. You can discreetly shop for any medical items needed with full confidentiality. You can also set up regularly scheduled deliveries, ensuring that you are never without needed medical supplies. Finally, shopping online provides discounts. You can price shop with different medical suppliers and find one that accepts your insurance plan. Some online retailers will even provide you with free catheters for larger orders. If you plan your order right, you can receive the biggest discount, while also stocking up on items that you need anyway.

Seniors are faced with a growing number of medical conditions as they age. The majority of these medical conditions come with necessary medical supplies. You can cut down on these costs by enrolling in frequent member programs, understanding your insurance policy coverages, working with your physician, and taking care of your current supplies, so that they last longer.