Patients could save by paying in cash instead of using insurance

But with the increasing number of people in high-deductible health plans, some providers offer discounts — sometimes deep discounts — to those who pay out-of-pocket.

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Consumer Reports found some people can actually save money by leaving their insurance card in their wallet.

It’s a practice more common for diagnostic procedures like X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds.

Companies like MDsave work with hundreds of doctors, hospitals and labs around the United States to offer discounts to people willing to prepay their bill.

It’s more common with diagnostic procedures, like X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds.

But you should be careful: Paying without insurance could cost you more in the long run.

When you pay out of pocket, typically that money won’t be applied to your insurance’s deductible or its out-of-pocket maximum.

If you need a lot of health care later on, you would start from zero.

And insurance protects you from financial shocks that could bankrupt you, things like a major hospitalization or expensive treatment.

Before your next appointment, run the numbers carefully and decide which way checks out.