ÏHK P ori land O bserver • J anuary
31,1996
P age
B7
Managing The Family Cost Of Health Care
•
»
Brian and Connie Claflin know all
about medical costs.
With seven children, the Claflins
have been through flus, colds and
stitches. And because they work for
a family business, they’ve also sur­
vived high deductibles, low reim­
bursements and periods o f no health
insurance at all.
“ It was really tough at times,” said
Brian Claflin. “But maybe in some
ways this was a blessing in disguise
because now we watch how we spend
our health care dollars very, very
carefully.”
Nationally, the average family
spends $2,321 annually for medical
care- either for insurance premiums
or out-of-pocket expenses, accord­
ing to Families USA Foundation, a
nonprofit W ashington consum er
group.
But health care experts say most
families can shave their annual ex­
penses if they learn to become smart
medical consumers.
“Don’t wait for anyone else to
help you cut your health care costs—
not doctors, not hospitals, not the
government,” said Matthew Lesko,
author o f What To Do When You
C an’t Afford Health Care, a book
that lists national and state resources
for getting free treatment and free
research on illnesses.
“The typical experts can’t keep up
with what’s out there,” Lesko said.
“So, the individual has to take re­
sponsibility for their own health and
their own medical costs. There are
tons o f ways to save money.”
For most families, a good starting
point is to study the health insurance
they plan to buy or have bought.
For example, when patients con­
sider participating in a managed care
plan — like a health maintenance
organization — they should call lo­
cal hospitals’ billing di visions to find
out how quickly the insurer settles
claims, said Paul T ay lor, Akron Gen­
eral Medical Center’s director of
patient financial services.
Why? I f an H MO tends to drag its
feet, the patient may end up paying
bills out-of-pocket, he said. The in­
formation also gives the patient an
idea o f whether the company consis­
tently contests claims.
If you have joined an insurance
plan, learn what procedures you must
go through to guarantee coverage
And then, play by the rules, experts
say.
“It requires a little self-discipline,”
said Claflin, whose children range in
age from 16 to 7. “ But if you follow
the rules, the paperw ork flows
through. Ifyou don’t, y o u '11 enter the
insurance Twilight Zone.”
Most often, managed care plans
require patients to get prior approval
from their family doctor before go­
ing to the emergency room unless it’s
a life-threatening situation. Not get­
ting that approval can leave a family
stuck with a bill not covered.
“Before, I’d always take my kids
to the emergency rooms when they
needed it,” said Claflin. But I always
would have this nagging feeling in
the back o f my head of, ‘How much
is this going to cost me?’ By follow­
ing the rules, I have a doctor’s ap­
proval, I know it’s covered and I can
just concentrate on getting my kids
well.” But to get a clearer sense o f
whether the illness or accident merits
immediate attention, patients can use
24-hour help lines set up at most
hospitals.
Nurses are often available any time
who can help families determine
whether something calls for an em er­
gency room visit.
“If it sounds like you need to go to
the emergency room, they’ll tell you,”
he said. “But if it sounds like it can
wait until the next morning, they’ll
tell you that, too. That can save a
family a bit o f money.”
But there are other options that
can help ease the blow o f a medical
bi 11: If you plan to pay cash, ask for a
discount. And if you can, make the
medical professionals tell you up front
what your bill will be for procedures
or hospital stays.
uilding Pain may be
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Clash
Continued from front
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said, “ Is she saying the (on-street)
spaces have to be reserved for her
people?”
Grear said, “A nice restaurant that
served alcohol would be a great im­
provement for this neighborhood, but
(Stewart) doesn’t seem to have any
plan.”
Oregon Liquor Control Commis­
sion investigator Larry Jacobson has
the same concern and has asked for
more information before the request
is processed.
At the Boise meeting, longtime
neighborhood activist Charles Ford
told Stewart, “You need to give more
information, and do more outreach.
If you can create a good package,
there’s a good chance that it can be
sold.”
Stewart does have one supporter.
Leonard Smith used to own the
Housing Our Families lot and tried
unsuccessfully to open a business in
Stewart’s building.
The area has too much “ spe-
ial needs" housing, and too lit-
le indepen d en t b u sin esses run
by A frican -A m erican men and
w om en, he said.
T he^i
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284-6978
Currin’s for Drugs
8438 N. Lombard St.
286-0207
A
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about that because I’m paying for it.
So give me the price.’ It’s important
because it allows you to plan and
budget for the cost.”
A lso, e x p e rts say peo p le o fte n
pay for th e ir m edical serv ices to o
q u ic k ly . P a tie n ts sh o u ld w a it
until all in su ran ce claim s h av e
been filed and resolved b e fo re
putting any m oney tow ard a b ill,
T aylor said.
Often, statements — not bills —
go out to consumers to notify them ot
the progress. But patients start mak­
ing payments, which can muck up the
process.
Ifan insurer refuses to payaclaim ,
patients should appeal the decision.
In about half o f the cases, insurers
will rescind their original rulings if
contested. And that means consum ­
ers end up paying less o f the bill.
Patients should also ask for an item­
ized bill for services if they suspect
Sub B id s R equested
Washington County Justice Complex
Hillsboro, Oregon
Bid Package: #4 - Community Corrections Center
Bid Date: February 22, 1996 2:00pm
H
HOFFMAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
OR License #28417
Drawings Can Be Viewed at:
Van Lom and Griffin Construction Offices
Daily Journal of Commerce Plan Center
. M I
<4 N N ’ ^ 4 /
iE N E R A l
disadvantaged, minority, women, disabled veterans and emerging small business enterpnses.
Gorgeous white and red top, with red velour seats. Only 5312 miles.
$9995 or finance with $495 down (cash or trade).
60 mo. at $199.54, 9.5% APR.
'92 Chevrolet Lumina
4 door, AT, BAC, PW, PDL. Nice clean car, and runs great too!
$6995 or finance with $495 down (cash or trade).
6C mo. at $136.51,9.5% APR
(503)281-9818
6717 NE Sandy Blvd,
Portland, OR 97213
5536 N. E. 105th Avenue
*
j F F
Portland, Oregon 97220
PhOne: 252' 9670 Fax 252-9867
We are an equal opportunity employer and request sub bids Irom small business and small
disadvantaged business subcontractors and women and minority business enterprises.
Sealed bids for the Ocean Administration Building Repiping
project wil' be received by the Oregon State Board of Higher
Education until 2:00 PM, local time, February 27,1996. Bids
will be opened and publicly read aloud at the time. All bidders
must be registered with the Construction Contractor’s Board.
Multnomah Education Service District
Additional inform ation may be obtained by contacting
Facilities Services, 100 Adams Hall, Corvallis, Oreqon
97331-2001 or telephone 541-737-7694.
#491-96-292
for furnishing
Advertisement For Bid
Sealed bids for the OSU Batcheller Hall Parapet Reinforce­
ment project will be received by the Oregon State Board of
Higher Education until 2:30 PM, local time, February 27,
1996. Bids will be opened and publicly read aloud at that time
All bidders must be registered with the Construction Contrac­
tor’s Board.
Additional inform ation may be obtained by contacting
Facilities Services, 100 Adams Hall, Corvallis, Oreqon
97331-2001 or telephone 541-737-7694.
Informational Advertisement
Department Of Transportation
Call For Bids
Request For Proposals
A Lan-B ased K-12 S tude nt In fo rm a tio n S oftw are System
Proposals are solicited to furnish a LAN-based K-12 Student
Information Software System (software only) for this agen­
cy’s MIS Department. Proposals will be received by Michael
Mlynarczyk, Purchasing Agent, at 11611 NE Ainsworth C ir­
cle, Portland, OR 97220-9017 (PO BOX 301039, Portland,
OR 97294-9039) (Phone: 503-257-1791) until no later than
4:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time, March 1,1996, at which time
and address the bids will be publicly opened and the names
of the bidders read aloud.
Requests for Proposals may be obtained at the above office.
The District may reject any bid not incompliance with all
prescribed public bidding procedures and requirements, and
may reject for good cause any or all proposals upon a finding
of the agency it is in the public interest to do so. No bid will be
considered that is received after the appointed date and time.
Multnomah Education Service District
Request For Quotations
Sealed bids will be received until 9 a.m. on February 8,1996
for the projects listed below:
for furnishing
Dairy Products And Eggs
RFQ #221-96-291
C o unty
D eschutes
Lake
U m atilla
Hwy 242 Jet. - Locust St./South Canyon St. -US
97 Section of McKenzie Highway (OR 126) in
Sisters and Redmond. AC Paving and Oiling.
Valley Falls - Loveless Creek Section of the
Fremont Highway north of Lakeview. 5% DBE
goal. DBE is subject to commercially useful
function (CUF). AC Pavement and Oiling.
Columbia River Hwy - E Main Street (Hermiston)
Section of the Hermiston Highway. AC Pave­
ment and Oiling.
D ouglas
N Umpqua River (Winchester) Bridge Section
of Pacific Highway approximately four miles
North of Roseburg. Reinforced Concrete &
Structural Steel Bridges & Grade Separation
Structures.
G rant &
W heeler
W CL Spray - Holmes Creek Section of the John
Day and Heppner-Spray Highways approxi­
mately 50 miles west and north of John Day. AC
Pavement and Oiling.
Plans, specifications and bid documents may be obtained in
Room 1, Transportation Building, Salem, Oregon 97310.
Plans may be ordered by phone at (503) 986-3720, or by
facsimile at (503) 986-3224. There is a $20.00 cha rg e fo r
p lans and s p e c ific a tio n s per p roject. Prime contractors
must be prequalified ten days prior to the bid opening day. For
additional information regarding pre-qualification, please con­
tact Fran Neavoll, Program Section, at (503) 986-3877.
If your business is not certified as a Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise (DBE) or a Women Business Enterprise (WBE),
please contact the Office of Minority, Women and Emerging
Small Business at 155 Cottage, Salem, OR 97310, phone
(503) 378-5651.
Request for Ouotations are solicited to furnish Dairy Products
and Eggs for this agency’s Environmental Education Outdoor
School program . Quotes will be received by M ichael
Mlynarczyk, Purchasing Agent, at 11611 NE Ainsworth C ir­
cle, Portland, OR 97220-9017 (PO box 301039, Portland, OR
97230-9039) (Phone: 503-257-1791) until no later than 4:00
PM, Pacific Standard Time (PST), F ebruary 15,1996.
Specifications may be obtained at the above office. The
District may reject any quotation not in compliance with all
prescribed public bidding procedures and requirements, and
may reject for good cause any or all quotations upon a finding
of the agency it is in the public interest to do so.
Pre-Qualification Requested
Portland City Hall Renovation Portland,OR
Exterior Masonry Restoration, Marble Restoration & Replacement,
Plaster Repair & Replacement, Scagolia Repair,
Millwork/Casework, Wood Window Restoration,
Historic Light Fixtures
Prequalificatiori Due Date: February 20,1996 2:00 pm
DONALD M. DRAKE COMPANY
DRAKE
1740 NW Flanders
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 226-3991
Fax (503) 243-2775
CCS #84045
We are an equal opportunity employer and request sub-bids from disadvantaged, minority,
women, Vietnam era veterans, disabled veterans, or emerging sm all business enterpnses
S u b B id s R e q u e s te d
NEW AND USED CARS, TRUCKS, VANS
'90 Cadillac Sedan Deville
Construction Data Plan Center
CONTRACTOR
"For The Auto YounDesire - At The Value You Deserve ”
TRADE-INS WELCOME!
To Advertise
Call 288-0033
Glenhaven, Irving and Arbor Lodge Parks
Restroom Renovation Project
Portland, OR
All Trades
Bid Date: February 1, 1996
We are an equal opportunity employer an request sub bids from all interested firms including
Advertisement For Bid
it’s too high.
The bill will be very difficult to
read because o f the medical coding
and lingo, but patients can go over
the bill with hospital administrators,
Taylor said.
Sub-Bids Requested
OF OREGON
Bid Phone: (503) 648-8869 - Bid Fax: (503) 681-6726
111 SE Washington St. Suite B - Hillsboro, OR 97123 -
AVAILABLE AT
Healthtek Pharmacy
Ji
n o
“Ask for the price ahead o f time,"
said Lesko. “That always makes for
an interesting experience because
most (doctors) won’t know.”
Lesko always makes health care
providers tell him the cost because
he carries a high deductible on his
insurance and pays much o f his bills
out-of-pocket.
“The doctors always say, ‘Well,
uh, don’t worry about that,” ’ he said.
“ But then I say, ‘Well, I do worry
S u b B id s R e q u e s te d
Washington County Justice Complex
Hillsboro, Oregon
Bid Package: #4 - Community Corrections Center
Bid Date: February 22,1996 2:00pm
H
HOFFMAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
OF OREGON
Bid Phone: (503) 221-8811 - Bid Fax: (503) 221-8934
1300 SW Sixth Avenue - Portland, OR 97201 - OR License #28417
We are an equal opportunity employer an request sub bids Irom all interested firms including
disadvantaged, minority, women, disabled veterans and emerging small business enterprises.
Snake River Correctional Institution
Ontario, Oregon
Bid Pkg #4 - Construction and
Furnishings
Bid Date: February 15,1996 at 4:00pm
HOFFMAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
H
OF OREGON
Bid Phone: (503) 221-8811 - Bid Fax: (503) 221-8934
1300 SW Sixth Avenue - Portland, OR 97201 • OR License #28417
We are an equal opportunity employer an request sub bids from all interested turns including
disadvantaged, minority, women, disabled veterans and emerging small business enterprises.