If you are experiencing chest pain, go straight to the ER.
If you are hit by a car or experiencing a serious allergic reaction, go straight to the ER.

Going to an emergency room instead of scheduling a doctor's appointment has become a trend in this country. In recent years, a whopping fifty-five percent of the 90 million visits to emergency rooms were unnecessary. Translated into dollars and cents that means 40.5 million people paid up to three times as much for routine care as they would have paid at a physician's office.

The problem is rooted in the "nobody knows nothing" syndrome. According to Great West Healthcare's survey, 3 out of 4 people think the "health insurance companies" are responsible for controlling health care cost. ONLY 1 out of 4 think "individuals" are responsible. Another eye popping statistic is that 79% of us have no idea what our medical care cost before we are treated. If you knew the average ER charge was $500 (in 2005) and the average doctor visit was $139 (in 2005), which one would choose? What if I told you that you had to pay the $500? Would you go to the ER or go to your PCP? In today’s health insurance arena, we are all paying for it through our ever-escalating premiums. Healthcare costs are climbing at more than 16% a year. In the ideal word, we would all know we are individually responsible for controlling healthcare cost. We can contain cost with 2% to 3% annual increases if we become better consumers. The following steps can help you get the health care you need without paying outrageous premiums and unnecessary ER charges:

Get a primary care physician. Having a regular doctor who keeps your medical history on file and who is available to see you in a pinch is one of your best recourses in an emergency. A good primary care doctor is available 24 hours a day for emergencies or takes turns handling off-hour urgent calls with colleagues. You should know the covering doctors before you need them.

Find out what other health care facilities are available in your community. 24-hour walk-in clinics and minor emergency centers can care for non-urgent conditions faster and cheaper than a hospital ER.

Insurance Coverage. Make sure you know which emergency services are covered and what instructions you need to follow in urgent situations. For example, if you go to an ER with an ear infection, your health insurance may not cover the cost. Also, some plans require that you notify them within a few hours of being admitted. If you don't, your treatment may not be covered.

Let's all work harder to avoid unnecessary ER visits and become better consumers and I guarantee we will all pay less for our health insurance.