As weather warms and days lengthen, winter’s lethargy starts to fade. And it’s about time too! But new activity can mean injuries as we dive wholeheartedly into recreation, yard work, and sports. When your injury requires surgery, don’t be sidelined all summer long. Consider a trip to Longview’s Pacific Surgical Center (PSC) for outpatient surgery that’ll have you batting 1000 again soon. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) documents yearly injuries from an array of sources. In 2017 alone, their hospital surveys estimated 89,608 lawnmower accidents, 13,073 firework accidents, and 24,082 from BBQ grills and equipment. But perhaps the highest percentage of warm-weather mishaps occurred playing sports. NEISS cited more than 340,000 from football, 218,000 from soccer, 35,000 […]

Ahh, Las Vegas. The land of bright lights, fine dining, and 24/7 fun. But did you know that Sin City also hosts some of the nation’s biggest conventions, trade shows, and corporate meetings? This April 24-26, staff from Longview’s Pacific Surgical Center (PSC) will attend the annual LBG Advisors Benefits Symposium to present a lecture on medical tourism. The LBG Advisors Benefits Symposium addresses healthcare costs, employee benefits, membership retention and expansion, and insurance issues. Hosted by the Lynnwood-based LBG Advisors, they’ll have speakers from across the industry spectrum. PSC’s long-time commitment to upfront, clearly posted, transparency pricing makes them a leader in the outpatient surgical community. Procedures are handled quickly, professionally, and paying cash often costs less than the copay/coinsurance portion of traditional insurance. With this […]

The New Year is an exciting time of resolutions, goals, and—perhaps the most fun—trendspotting. Industry experts do their best to anticipate, guess-timate, and predict what will be hot during the coming seasons and months. These estimations help us plan for the future and know a little more about what to expect down the road. This year there are fresh—and returning—trends galore. Food and Wine magazine encourages readers to be on the lookout because “Kelp, French classics, and phone-free dining are on the menu for 2019.” They also expect a rise in plant-based meals, locally sourced ingredients, and fast-casual dining. In fashion, Elle expects more feathers, hippy modernism (it’s a real thing, I promise), and square-toed shoes. But for medicine and […]

Writer Gilbert Chesterton declared that “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes….Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.” But for those of us with high deductible medical insurance, new feet and backbones may have to wait. The January 1 re-set means costs are entirely out of pocket until that limit is reached. But don’t let cost woes force you to postpone needed care, a simpler cash option may save money in the long run. A recent Forbes report describes that “about half of all people […]

We sometimes fall victim to the belief that if something costs more, it must be worth more. Expensive cars mean luxury bells and whistles. Expensive clothes? Designer prestige and status. But is that necessarily true? Thanks to the internet, customer reviews, and comprehensive research rankings, it’s possible to get the same product for a wide variety of prices. Why pay more if you don’t have to? This also—surprisingly—applies to medical care. For families and groups belonging to a health sharing program or medical cost-sharing ministry stretching shared money benefits everyone …literally. These programs are formed when groups “of like-minded individuals agree to come together and help each other pay their medical expenses. They offer faith-based programs for planning for unforeseen medical expenses.” They are […]

What exactly is health sharing and how does transparency pricing from physicians play an intracule roll? People are amazingly adaptable. They find creative ways to thrive even when money is tight and options seem limited. When it comes to the confusing world of medical insurance, there are more options out there than just large corporations. One of the latest trends is a Healthcare Sharing Program. In Washington State, two adults and one child can expect to pay anywhere from $1,300 to $1,950 a month for insurance according to Healthcare.gov. If this cost is out-of-pocket, with little or no employer assistance, some people turn to healthcare sharing programs as a way to keep costs low but still have a cushion in case […]

We often seek medical treatment in one of two places: the doctor’s office or the hospital. But these days there are other options for skilled care. Depending on the procedure needed, outpatient ambulatory surgery centers may be just what the doctor ordered. By definition, ambulatory surgery centers (ASC’s) are “modern health care facilities focused on providing same-day surgical care, including diagnostic and preventive procedures.” Longview’s Pacific Surgical Center is one of these comprehensive medical hubs. They offer imaging, pre- and post-operative care, and outpatient treatment for urology, gastroenterology, podiatry, orthopedic, and general surgery needs with clearly posted transparency pricing. ASC’s are not a new concept. They began in the 1970’s and have since changed the landscape of medicine. The national ASC Association […]

Savvy consumers know to shop around, read reviews, and consider all the options. Whether you’re looking to save money, find the best warranty, or read customer feedback, it helps keep you in the know. And as we learned in school, knowledge is power. This seems obvious when shopping for Christmas presents, a new car, or the latest technology. But when it comes to medical issues, many of us consider our doctor’s word to be law. We don’t ask questions about alternative treatment, medication side-effects, or surgical options. If you’ve been told surgery is in the cards, step back and consider your many self-directed options. For those with standard medical insurance, it may feel odd to shop around within the approved […]

We live in an à la carte society, where everything from entertainment to clothing is available by subscription. Now, in many places, you can add subscription medical to your list of monthly services. Maybe, to borrow a phrase from the cable industry, it’s time to cut the cord on your traditional health insurance carrier. Though the idea has been around for a while, it’s only recently that subscription medical has really taken off. Also known as ‘direct primary care’ or ‘membership medicine,’ subscription medical isn’t the same as its posher-sounding cousin ‘concierge medicine.’ Industry experts define it as “a newer type of primary-care medical practice that doesn’t accept health insurance. Instead, member patients pay a subscription fee, typically on a monthly basis. […]

If you work for a large corporation, organization, or employer, medical insurance probably doesn’t cross your mind very often. It’s a comforting constant, used without much thought. But for small businesses, there are other options than outsourcing to a big-named company. One that’s increasing in popularity is self-funded insurance. With a fully-funded plan, the coordinating insurance company selects which doctors and services are covered. To self-funded plans, saving money is key so clinics like Longview’s Pacific Surgical Center (PSC) are a lifesaver. Their commitment to up-front, transparency pricing means every dollar goes further and more people can benefit. Self-funded coverage is different than simply saving for a rainy day. It’s sometimes confused with official products aimed at supporting individuals with low-cost/high deductible corporate plans. […]