If I am only responsible for the copay portion of a medical service, why should I care about where a procedure is performed or how much it costs?

Someone needs to pay the bill. The more an insurance company pays for a medical procedure, the more the insurance company must charge USNH to insure its employees. Higher insurance costs result in higher premiums for both USNH and employees. Higher premiums mean less money for USNH, UNH, and employee pockets.

UNH is in a difficult position. Because of these tough economic times, we must limit our price increases for tuition and the rates charged for sponsors of research. We cannot make up for health care cost increases by passing the buck. This means there is less money for salary increases, less frequent technology upgrades, and more deferred building maintenance.

So what can we do? We can learn to manage our health care budget like we manage our other budgets. This means each of us needs to make sure we receive the right care, at the right time, at the right place, and at the right price.

Need some guidance on making medical decisions? USNH has partnered with Tandem Health Advantage, a personalized health care shopping service. Tandem can help you save money and earn rewards for choosing high quality, low cost medical providers. For more information, visit Tandem Health Advantage.