16 ways to beat the high cost of medical care

Health insurance helps make medical care more affordable — or at least prevents a serious health problem from bankrupting us — but it doesn’t make medical bills magically disappear. Most of us — whether on employer-sponsored plans or insurance coverage purchased through the Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges — still have plenty to pay out-of-pocket. If anything, the costs we pay on our own are climbing.Fortunately, there are ways to fight the high cost of medical bills and prescription medicines and keep your out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum.