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Understanding the Cost Difference
When your doctor recommends a health care service, like a chest X-ray or MRI, where you go could save you money. We offer a number of freestanding facilities in our network that provide the same services as a hospital, but typically for a lower cost. Understanding their differences in cost could help you save on health care expenses, especially for those in a deductible plan.
Below are examples of your potential savings for services at a freestanding facility compared to a hospital. 1
Hospital
A place that provides inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical care.
Freestanding Facility
A place that provides outpatient services and that is not affiliated with or part of a hospital.
PET Scan
Sleep Studies
MRI
Echo Stress
CT Scan
Nuclear Stress
Sonogram
Mammogram
Bone Density
X-ray
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a test that uses a special type of camera and a tracer (radioactive substance) to look at organs in the body. The tracer liquid is put into a vein (IV, or intravenous) in your arm. The tracer moves through your body, where much of it collects in the specific organ or tissue. A PET scan is often used to evaluate cancer, check blood flow, or see how organs are working.
Find more information on PET Scans through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$2,971
Freestanding Facility Price
$1,803
Potential Savings
$1,168
Sleep studies are tests that record what happens to your body during sleep. They are done to find out what is causing your sleep problems, and can also determine whether you have a problem with your stages of sleep. Sleep studies usually are done in a sleep lab, but can also can be done with portable equipment you use at home.
Find more information on Sleep Studies through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$1,376
Freestanding Facility Price
$605
Potential Savings
$771
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. In many cases, MRI gives different information about structures in the body than can be seen with an X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan. MRI also may show problems that cannot be seen with other imaging methods.
Find more information on MRI imaging through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$1,069
Freestanding Facility Price
$354
Potential Savings
$715
A stress echocardiography, also called an echocardiography stress test or stress echo, is a procedure that determines how well your heart and blood vessels are working. During the stress test, you'll exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike while your doctor monitors your blood pressure and heart rhythm. When your heart rate reaches peak levels, your doctor will take ultrasound images of your heart to determine whether your heart muscles are getting enough blood and oxygen while you exercise.
Find more information on Echo Stress tests through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$990
Freestanding Facility Price
$369
Potential Savings
$621
A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of structures inside of the body.
Find more information on CT Scans through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$867
Freestanding Facility Price
$180
Potential Savings
$687
A nuclear exercise stress test is a diagnostic test used to evaluate blood flow to the heart. During the test, a small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into a vein. A special camera, called a gamma camera, detects the radiation released by the tracer to produce computer images of the heart.
Find more information on Nuclear Stress tests through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$1,270
Freestanding Facility Price
$402
Potential Savings
$868
A sonogram is the image generated during ultrasonography, which is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses ultrasound to visualize anything inside the body. A sonogram is used by physicians to observe the growth of a fetus, to calculate their age and due date, and to see the presence of multiple fetuses. It is also used to diagnose internal problems such as pelvic bleeding, and to locate cancerous cells.
Find more information on Sonograms through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$292
Freestanding Facility Price
$144
Potential Savings
$148
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that is used to screen for breast cancer. Mammograms can find tumors that are too small for you or your doctor to feel.
Find more information on Mammograms through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$234
Freestanding Facility Price
$189
Potential Savings
$45
A bone density test is a kind of X-ray test. It measures the density of minerals (such as calcium) in your bones. This information helps your doctor estimate the strength of your bones.
Find more information on Bone Density tests through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$187
Freestanding Facility Price
$46
Potential Savings
$141
An X-Ray is a photographic or digital image of the internal composition of something, especially a part of the body, produced by X-rays being passed through it and being absorbed to different degrees by different materials.
Find more information on X-rays through our Healthwise education center.
What's my actual cost?
Your out-of-pocket cost may vary for the following reasons:
Different providers have different costs for the same service.
Independent Health negotiates the cost of services with each provider, saving you money. Keep in mind, however, the cost of these same services will differ by provider. The above costs represent average costs you would pay at a hospital or freestanding facility.
There may be costs for additional services.
For more complex medical care, there are typically several other components of care that are necessary as part of your overall treatment. In these cases, you may billed separately and be responsible for these costs as well.
Deductible plan members pay full cost until the deductible is met.
If you've already met your deductible, you will pay the applicable copayment or coinsurance.
Always check your benefits prior to receiving medical care to plan for your medical costs.
Hospital Price
$118
Freestanding Facility Price
$34
Potential Savings
$84
1 The costs listed represent averages across our entire network for our commercial business. This may not be your actual cost. Costs may further vary based on your providers and needs as a patient. Furthermore, costs listed are only for a specific procedure. There may be additional associated costs, such as anesthesia, medications and follow-up examinations. As a member, you can use our Treatment Cost Advisor to get more estimated costs of care.
What's Next
There may be circumstances in which your doctor determines a service is more appropriate for you to receive at a hospital, but when you have the option to go to a freestanding facility, follow these tips:
Just Browsing
Launch directly into Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions’ Find A Pharmacy tool where you can find the pharmacy closest to you.
Ask your doctor about specialists.
When a specialist is recommended, ask if he or she can perform the service(s) at a freestanding facility.
Just Browsing
Launch directly into Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions’ Find A Pharmacy tool where you can find the pharmacy closest to you.
Confirm the location before you go.
If a referral is not required and you choose the location on your own, call the office to confirm the freestanding facility participates in our network and is not affiliated with a hospital.
Know Your Options. Know Your Costs.
Compare and Save — with our NEW Cost Comparison Tool
Health Care Services, Providers, Treatment Plans and More
When your doctor recommends a medical procedure, such as carpel tunnel surgery, cataract removal or even having a baby, our Cost Comparison Tool can help you search and compare everything you need to know to make informed decisions. To get started…
Create your online account or access through the MyIH app.
On Your Dashboard: Look for and click the “Compare Costs” tile.
Compare Costs
Find money-saving options on prescriptions and medical services or procedures.
Compare Costs
This unique tool is here to help provide our members with greater control over their health care spending:
• Real-time cost estimates based on personalized pricing and covered options specific to the member’s health plan.
• Review treatment timelines, from evaluation through recovery, to understand the total scope of care — in dollars and time involved.
• View average costs per procedure/location.
• Provider search with comprehensive profiles, quality ratings and filters to hone findings by location, category, facility type and more.
• Save favorite providers, select a PCP and more.
Find More Ways to Save on Your Health Care
At Independent Health, we want to help you make more informed decisions by understanding your plan benefits and health care options, so that you can save money and time.