– As health care costs continue to escalate and benefits are cut back, patients are bearing more of the cost of their medical care. Especially for the growing number of patients enrolled in high-deductible health plans, the out-of-pocket costs for certain medical services, such as high-end imaging studies, can put a serious dent in their wallets. Patients can tackle at least part of these costs by visiting Docmos (www.docmos.com) whenever they need to get imaging studies, such as CTs, MRIs, PET scans and other x-rays. Docmos has created an online directory of imaging facilities across the country, and offers patients cash rebates of up to $100 when they visit certain imaging facilities in their area.

"We're all familiar with the idea of getting rebates on electronics and nearly any household product, but cash rebates for health care services is definitely a first," says Dr. Herb Singh, one of the co-founders of the Austin-based start-up, Docmos.

Docmos' directory service is provided free of charge, and patients are eligible for the cash-back offers even if their imaging test is covered by insurance. By integrating Google mapping features, Docmos makes it easy for users to determine which imaging facilities are the closest and most convenient for them.

With its recent launch in Austin, Texas, Docmos seeks to empower patients to take greater charge of their health care and make more choices for themselves. Few patients realize that they can choose where to go for their imaging tests. Patients typically get their imaging studies wherever their doctors send them. Docmos encourages patients to choose an imaging center based on all the criteria that are important to them, including proximity of the imaging facility, services offered and cash-back offers available through Docmos.

"Patients have a lot to gain from using our service", adds Dr. Singh. "If you could get $50 cash back for visiting an imaging facility offering the same services just across the street, wouldn't you go where you could get the cash? For most people, that's a no-brainer."