The United States has vast discrepancies among healthcare costs and payment processes depending on the insurance company, plan, and provider. Medical bills can be stress-inducing and hard to predict, with totals ranging from burdensome to crippling. Chronic medical conditions require adjustment and mental reframe, and the added stress of affording expenses can be debilitating.

Lowering Medical Expenses and Understanding Billing

Lowering medical expenses isn’t always possible and medical billing can be confusing, with surprise costs and fluctuating prices. Expert tips for managing medical bills include asking about payment plans and taking advantage of HSA or FSA options available to you.

Nava Benefits: A Healthcare Navigation App

Nava Benefits is releasing a healthcare navigation app for its hundreds of employer clients. The app will place all an employee’s benefits information in one place, including insurance cards, access codes to telehealth apps, access to insurance portals, and their current state of coverage. A messaging feature will allow users to connect with Nava staff for additional support, including managing unusually high medical bills.

Surprise Medical Bills and Medical Debt in the US

Surprise medical bills are common, with one in five US adults being billed an unexpected balance after receiving care. An estimated 41% of Americans currently have medical debt, ranging from $500 to $10,000 or more. Nava hopes the app will make it easier for employees to reach out and resolve medical bill problems.

Transparency and Accountability in the Insurance Industry

Nava provides 100% fee transparency to their clients and does not charge anything additional for the app. Benefits brokers have been criticized for lack of transparency in their dealings between companies and insurance carriers. Nava hopes to inspire brokers to hold themselves more accountable and help employees get the most from their benefits.