Guest post: book review of The Self-Pay Patient |

"The discussions about the new health care law are endless.

To the person on the street, everything seems to be changing on an almost daily basis. How can the ordinary person begin to understand all the ramifications of the Affordable Care Act? What is a person to do when, even though they have health insurance, they are potentially facing high medical bills that are not addressed by their plan?

Where can the person on the street go for help?

The Self-Pay Patient: Affordable Healthcare Choices in the Age of Obamacare by Sean Parnell is a great resource for those who want/ need to pay directly for their own healthcare.

Some people with a high deductible plan end up having to pay thousands of dollars in co-pays and deductibles. Are there other options for them or ways they can get discounted services? Or maybe they have seen a doctor out-of-network, or for some reason their condition is not addressed by their health insurance. What are they to do?

The Self Pay Patient also explains some of the self-pay alternatives that are offered outside of the conventional insurance model. Although most people are unaware of them, these alternatives comply with the law in such a way that those who use them are exempt from the penalties of the Affordable Care Act..."