Doctor
Patient
Communications |
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The
Doctor -
Patient
Disconnect
Command
respect
from
your
doctor. |
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No Room
for
White
Lies
Fibbing
to your
doctor
can be
dangerous |
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Behold the Second Opinion
Second opinions are important, but there are
some guidelines for getting the best
information. |
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Three questions you should ask your doctor
The AskMe3 group provides guidelines to
patients. |
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Follow Up on Test Results
Don't assume your doctor's office will
provide test results when they come in. Be
proactive! |
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Be Informed Before You Give Consent
When you visit your doctor, you are asked to
sign an "informed consent" form. Read why
you need to make sure you really have been
informed, and you understand the information
you are given. |
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Who's Who in Health Care? (part I)
There are so many initials after the names
of healthcare providers. Here are the
designations given to doctors. |
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Who's Who in Health Care? (part II)
More designation translations for the
alphabet soup of health care providers. |
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Do As You're Told!
Complying with your doctor's instructions is
an important part of healing. |
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Ask Health Care Workers to Wash Their Hands
You will
be amazed at how effective this tip can be
to prevent yourself from getting infected. |
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Tell ALL
Your
Doctors
What You
Think!
Providing
feedback
to the
doctor
who
treated
you is
important,
but just
as
important
is
letting
the
person
who
referred
you know
about
your
experience,
too. |
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Five
Words
Make all
the
Difference
Once
your
doctor
provides
you with
a
diagnosis,
what
should
you do
next to
make
sure
you'll
get the
best
treatment? |
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Think
Like a
Consumer
to Keep
Healthy
Be sure
your
doctor's
motives
are
focused
on you
and not
on his
or her
skills
or
income. |
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How
Experienced
is Your
Doctor?
Their
"titles"
tell you
how much
training
they've
had.
Here's
what
those
titles
are so
you can
determine
whether
your
doctor
has the
experience
needed
for your
best
medical
outcome. |
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When You
and Your
Doctor
Disagree
You've
made
your
choices
for
treatment
and
follow
up care,
but your
doctor
disagrees
and
doesn't
want to
support
your
decision.
What
does an
empowered
patient
do? |
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Glen's
Decision,
Revisited
The last
in the
series
about
Glen,
who
chose an
alternative
treatment
for a
brain
tumor
but had
to take
a second
look at
his
choice. |
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Tap Into
the
Knowledge
of the
Professionals
in the
Doctor's
Office
Your
doctor
isn't
the only
person
in her
office
who can
help
you.
There is
plenty
of
information
you can
get from
others.
Here's a
guide to
who can
help you
while
you are
there. |
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When
It's
Time to
Change
Doctors
- Part I
--
Leaving
Your
Doctor
Moving?
Doctor's
practice
closing?
Just
have a
feeling
that you
and your
doctor
need to
part
ways?
Here are
some
smart
steps
for
leaving
your
doctor,
and
preparing
to
transition
to the
new one. |
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When
It's
Time to
Change
Doctors
- Part
II -
Meeting
With
Your New
Doctor
Finding
a new
doctor
gives
you an
opportunity
to start
fresh
with
your
communication,
collaboration
and
finding
your
best
medical
outcomes. |
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East,
West and
Wellness
(Complementary
and
Alternative
Medicine)
We
patients
in the
Western
world
are
beginning
to learn
about,
and
embrace
Eastern
medicine,
from
herbal
supplements
to
acupuncture
and
yoga.
But what
about
our
doctors?
How can
we make
our
choices
and be
honest
with
them,
too? |
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East,
West and
Wellness
- part
2.
Why
Won't
Your
Doctor
Talk to
You
About
Alternative
Therapies?
(Complementary
and
Alternative
Medicine)
Many
patients
report
their
frustration
with
their
doctors
who
won't
discuss
complementary
or
alternative
options
for
their
healthcare
with
them.
Why
won't
they?
They
have
their
reasons. |
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East,
West and
Wellness
- part
3.
How to
Talk to
Your
Doctor
About
Alternative
Therapies
(Complementary
and
Alternative
Medicine) |
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Doctors Complain About Patients, Too
As you might imagine, doctors have as many complaints about patients as we patients have about them. And informal survey of doctors and other health professionals yielded a long list of complaints. See if you are 'guilty' of any of these indiscretions. |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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Your Primary Need for Primary Care
There are many reasons we need to make sure we have a primary care doctor ready and willing to help us. Learn what those reasons might be, and why it's so important you find one if you don't have one all ready. |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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Doctors
React to
Use of
the
Internet
Wise
patients
know to
learn
what
they can
about
diagnoses
and
treatment
options
by using
the
Internet.
But the
fact
that we
use the
Internet
isn't
always
well
received
by our
providers.
Here is
some
advice
to help
you
avoid
stepping
on
provider
toes. |
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Medical
Records
and
Tests |
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Build a Personal Health Journal (part 1)
Keeping track of your personal and family
medical records can help you later when you
run into health problems. |
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Records are yours for the taking (medical
records - part II)
Learn how to get a hold of your medical
records. |
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Building a Personal Health Journal (medical
records - part III)
Learn how to get a hold of your medical
records when your doctor has closed his
practice, plus a review of systems for
keeping your materials together. |
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Follow Up on Test Results
Don't assume your doctor's office will
provide test results when they come in. Be
proactive! |
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Learn from the Headlines
It can be dangerous to make treatment
changes based on what you hear or read in
the media. Here is a way to use that
information to your benefit. |
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Health
Screenings:
Are They
Worth
It?
They
arrive
at a
local
church
or
gathering
place,
charge
you $129
and
perform
ultrasound
and
other
tests to
help you
determine
your
risk for
various
older
person
diseases.
What is
the real
cost and
can they
be
valuable
to you? |
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The Perfect Gift: Advanced Directives
Making decisions about your end of life
care, and making sure your loved ones
understand what those wishes are is a
wonderful gift which provides peace of mind. |
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Prescription
Drugs |
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Ads for Prescription Drugs Are A Place to
Start
Don't let those drug
companies manipulate you |
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Prescription Mistakes are Over a Million
Millions of people
have died or been injured by prescription
drug errors. Learn more about the
errors. This is Part I of two parts. |
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Prevent Prescription Errors
Keep yourself and
your loved ones safe by following this
protocol when your doctor gives you a new
prescription. This is Part II of two
parts. |
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Generic
Drugs:
What You
Need to
Know
What are
generic
drugs?
How are
they
different?
Can you
benefit
from
their
use? |
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Prescription
Abbreviations:
Cracking
the Code
The
written
prescription
handed
to you
by your
doctor
may look
confusing
due to
all the
abbreviations
and
acronyms.
But it's
important
for you
to
understand
what it
says.
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Looking
at the
Evidence
for New
Drugs
Since
the FDA
does not
review
new
drugs as
carefully
as it
should
before
they are
approved,
we
patients
need to
ask the
right
questions
to
protect
ourselves.
We don't
want to
become
the
guinea
pigs
that are
hurt or
get
sicker
because
the
drugs
weren't
safe. |
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Work
with
Your
Doctor
to Save
Money on
Prescription
Drugs
The
price of
prescription
drugs
climbs
higher
and
higher,
but
there
are ways
to get
the
drugs
you need
through
a number
of
different
programs.
This
week
we'll
tackle
the ways
your
doctor
can help
you keep
the
costs as
low as
possible. |
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You May
Be
Eligible
for a
Prescription
Assistance
Program
While
most
prescription
assistance
programs
are
aimed at
people
who lack
insurance
or who
have
lower
income,
some are
based on
the drug
you take
or other
programs
you
participate
with.
Learn
more
about
them and
link to
websites
that
describe
PAPs. |
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Prescription
Discount
Drug
Cards -
a Mixed
Bag of
Results
There
are
dozens
of
prescription
discount
drug
cards
available.
Some can
be very
helpful;
others
are
scams.
Know the
benefits,
and the
differences. |
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Hospitals
& Safety |
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MRSA :: Every Hospital's Dirty Little Secret
If you or a loved one is faced with a
hospital stay, take this cautionary tale to
keep yourself safe from infection. |
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Keep Yourself Safe from Hospital Acquired
Infections
Learn more about the necessary steps, and
the work by RID: Reduce Hospital
Deaths |
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Keep Yourself Safe in the Emergency Room
From keeping your sense of humor to choosing
which hospital ER is best for you, here are
some ideas for getting the best care. |
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Use ICE on
Your Cell Phone
This ICE can save your life: In Case
of Emergency |
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Light a Candle, Turn on Your Headlights for
Patient Safety Day
Each year 100,000 patients die from
hospital-acquired infections, pharmaceutical
drug errors, surgical errors and other
mistakes made by providers. July 25 is
a day to pause and reflect and learn. |
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Medicare's Never Events Policy - New
Hospital Rules Will Affect Us All
While the long run will likely benefit a
patient's safety, there will be short term
unintended consequences to the new Medicare
Never Events policy. |
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Prevent Your Own Hospital Infections
105 hospitals across the United States have proved it's possible to stop deadly central line infections - a feat that was previously thought to be impossible. It can be done! But most of us don't have access to those hospitals, so we must prevent them ourselves. |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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Compliance |
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No Room
for White Lies
Fibbing to your
doctor can be dangerous |
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Do As
You're Told!
Complying with your
doctor's instructions is an important part
of healing. |
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Misdiagnosis
and
Medical
Errors |
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What if you've
only got a few months to live?
Trisha explains why
she became "Every Patient's Advocate" |
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The
Problem with "Should"
A bow to National
Patient Safety Week and how to prevent
misdiagnosis. |
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The Flip of a Coin Isn't Good Enough
The Rand Healthcare
report = we all get shoddy health care. |
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MRSA -
Every
Hospital's
Dirty
Little
Secret
Learn
how to
protect
yourself
from
this "superbug"
infection
that can
kill. |
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When is
a
Specialist
the
Wrong
Specialist
for You?
Specialists
know
their
own body
systems
very
well.
But many
health
problems
get
attributed
to the
wrong
body
system
-- and
those
specialists
don't
know to
look for
it
elsewhere. |
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Use of
the
Internet
for
Health-Related
Research |
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Learn from the Headlines
It can be dangerous
to make treatment changes based on what you
hear or read in the media. Here is a
way to use that information to your benefit. |
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Are You
a
Cyberchondriac?
Using
the
internet
to
self-diagnose
can get
in the
way of a
good
medical
outcome. |
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Getting
the
Support
You Need
Sometimes
medical
professionals
can't
answer
all your
questions.
When
that
happens,
turn to
other
patients
for
support.
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Use the
Internet
Wisely
to Find
Reliable
Health
Information
(part I)
Learn
about
Health
on the
Net
(HON)
and how
it can
help
you. |
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Use the
Internet
Wisely
to Find
Reliable
Health
Information
(Part
II)
Medical
Journals
can be
an
excellent
source
of
health
information.
Here are
some
things
you need
to know
about
them. |
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Use the
Internet
Wisely
to Find
Reliable
Health
Information
(Part
III)
You can
learn a
great
deal
about
doctors
online.
But you
need to
know how
to find
information
that is
credible
and
objective. |
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Use the
Internet
Wisely
to Find
Reliable
Health
Information
(Part
IV)
Blogs
and
Wikis
may
offer
you
unique
ideas
and
teach
you
things
your
doctor
didn't
(or
won't!)
tell
you.
Learn
what
they
are, and
how to
use them
to your
benefit. |
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Use the
Internet
Wisely
to Find
Reliable
Health
Information
(Part V)
Sometimes
online
medical information
isn't
helpful
at all.
In fact,
it may
be wrong
and
dangerous.
Assess
the
information
using
some of
these
tips to
be sure
it can
be
helpful
to you. |
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Glen's
Decision,
Revisited
The last
in the
series
about
Glen,
who
chose an
alternative
treatment
for a
brain
tumor
but had
to take
a second
look at
his
choice. |
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Sharing
Internet
Health
Information
With
Your
Provider
Many
doctors
resist
their
patients'
efforts
to
discuss
information
the
patient
has
found
online.
Why?
Because
they may
be
insulted,
or maybe
they
just
don't
have
time.
How can
you
approach
them to
make it
a more
satisfactory
discussion
for you
both? |
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Want to
Speak to
a Live
"Doctor"
Online?
Learn
why
these
kinds of
sites
and
their
"doctors"
may cost
you
dearly
in both
your
health
and your
wallet. |
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Other
Patients
May Lend
a Hand
When
you need
to learn
more
about
your
diagnosis
and
treatment
options,
an
Internet
search
may turn
up
information
provided
by other
patients.
How
credible
is it?
Can it
be
useful
to you? |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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Miscellaneous |
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Listen
to Your Inner Voice
Intuition?
Instinct? It's there to help! |
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Learn from the Headlines
It can be dangerous
to make treatment changes based on what you
hear or read in the media. Here is a
way to use that information to your benefit. |
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Be Informed Before You Give Consent
When you visit
your doctor, you are asked to sign an
"informed consent" form. Read why you
need to make sure you really have been
informed, and you understand the information
you are given. |
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Who's Who in Health Care? (part I)
There are so many
initials after the names of healthcare
providers. Here are the designations
given to doctors. |
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Who's Who in Health Care? (part
II)
More
designation translations for the alphabet
soup of health care providers. |
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Ask
Health Care Workers to Wash Their Hands
Hospital and exam room infection rates are
alarming, and many infections would never be
transmitted, if only doctors would wash
their hands. |
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Evolving Options
Integrative Medicine -- Alternative and
Complementary Therapies -- much to learn and
choices to make. |
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Be a Smart Health Insurance Consumer
How can you tell which health insurance plan
best meets your needs? A hint:
it's probably not the one that has the
lowest premiums! |
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Resolutions for Sharp Patients
Prepare yourself for 2007 with these easy,
but effective ideas for finding your best
medical outcome. |
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What
Kindergarten Teaches Us About Healthcare
Just like Robert Fulghum's bestseller of 20
years ago, some of our best lessons in
healthcare are the basics we learned in
school. |
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Those Amazing Medical Diagnostic Machines
You've heard their names: X-Rays, MRIs,
UltraSound and others. What's the
difference and what can doctors learn from
them? |
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Making Tough Treatment Decisions
Sometimes it's tough to make decisions when
our emotions get in the way of our
objectivity. Use this approach to help
you make the right decision for you. |
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Glen's
Decision,
Revisited
The last
in the
series
about
Glen,
who
chose an
alternative
treatment
for a
brain
tumor
but had
to take
a second
look at
his
choice. |
|
|
Prevention: Stay Healthy and Save
Money, Too
Better to proactively prevent medical
problems by living healthy than to need to
pay for the reactive side of medical care,
both in time and money. |
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Take a Look at Clinical Trials
You can help yourself, and other patients
who will someday be diagnosed with your same
medical problem, by participating in
clinical trials. |
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The
Concept of Medical Home
Patients are often frustrated by a lack of
coordination of their healthcare. The
concept of "medical home" was developed to
support that idea of coordination -- but
that theory doesn't turn out to be too
successful in actual practice. |
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Advanced Directives: Don't Do This to Your
Loved Ones
Unless you make decisions about your end of
life wishes, you'll be leaving your loved
ones with agonizing decisions and heart
ache. Read this story to get a sense
of what can happen. |
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East, West and Wellness (Complementary
and Alternative Medicine)
We patients in the Western world are
beginning to learn about, and embrace
Eastern medicine, from herbal supplements to
acupuncture and yoga. But what about
our doctors? How can we make our
choices and be honest with them, too? |
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East,
West and
Wellness
- part
2.
Why
Won't
Your
Doctor
Talk to
You
About
Alternative
Therapies?
(Complementary
and
Alternative
Medicine)
Many
patients
report
their
frustration
with
their
doctors
who
won't
discuss
complementary
or
alternative
options
for
their
healthcare
with
them.
Why
won't
they?
They
have
their
reasons. |
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East,
West and
Wellness
- part
3.
How to
Talk to
Your
Doctor
About
Alternative
Therapies
(Complementary
and
Alternative
Medicine) |
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Should
We Be
Afraid
of Swine
Flu?
Public
health
emergencies,
pigs and
pandemics.
As
incidents
of swine
flu pop
up
across
the
globe,
it
instills
a
certain
fear -
are we,
or
someone
we love,
at risk
for
catching
swine
flu?
Should
we be
afraid
of swine
flu? |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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Prepare
for the
Seasonal
or H1N1
Swine
Flu
Everywhere
we turn,
officials
are
telling
us how
to
protect
ourselves
from the
flu.
Yet, the
World
Health
Organization
estimates
one-third
of us
will get
it
anyway.
So why
not just
prepare
for it?
Here are
some
steps to
take to
prepare
your
family
for the
flu. |
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Mom's
Gift Is
a Gift
You Can
Give
Your
Loved
Ones,
Too
When my
mother
had a
heart
attack,
we knew
exactly
what to
do to
help her
because
she had
given us
the gift
of
sharing
her
wishes.
Here's
how you
can do
the same
thing
for your
loved
ones. |
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Some
Steps
Forward,
Too Many
Steps
Back --
a
Patient's
Decade
in
Review
Between
2000 and
2009,
patients
found a
mixed
bag of
both
positive
and
negative
progress.
The
possibilities
for
improved
care may
exist,
but
fewer
and
fewer of
us are
reaping
the
benefits.
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Healthcare
Costs
and
Consumerism |
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Double Check Your Doctor Bills
Eight of 10 medical bills have errors, yet
few patients double check their bills to be
sure they aren't being overcharged.
Here's a simple way to check your bills, and
what to do if you find an error. |
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Be a Smart Health Insurance Consumer
How can you tell which health insurance plan
best meets your needs? A hint:
it's probably not the one that has the
lowest premiums! |
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Work
with
Your
Doctor
to Save
Money on
Prescription
Drugs
The
price of
prescription
drugs
climbs
higher
and
higher,
but
there
are ways
to get
the
drugs
you need
through
a number
of
different
programs.
This
week
we'll
tackle
the ways
your
doctor
can help
you keep
the
costs as
low as
possible. |
|
|
Prevention: Stay Healthy and Save
Money, Too
Better to proactively prevent medical
problems by living healthy than to need to
pay for the reactive side of medical care,
both in time and money. |
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The Medical
Information Bureau Affects Your Ability to
Get Insurance
Just like credit bureaus affect your ability
to get a mortgage or car loan, the Medical
Information Bureau collects information
about your health, then shares the
information with its member insurance
companies so they can decide whether to sell
you a policy. |
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Let the State Help You Dispute an Insurance
Claim
When you've exhausted your possibilities for
getting your claim paid by your insurance
company, then ask the state insurance
department to lend an assist. Here's
how. |
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What You
Don't Know About Health Savings Accounts
(HSAs) Can Hurt You
Previous savings accounts used for medical
expenses forced you to forfeit your saved
money at the end of the year. But HSAs
are different. You'll keep your saved
money and still save on your taxes.
Learn how. |
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Would You Pay for Your Car Twice?
It's time for Open Enrollment, and
for those who don't take a few
minutes to review their current
policies, it's like throwing money
away. Learn why you should
take those few minutes, and find a
link to help you determine which
plan is best for you. |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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Medicare Part D - Counselors Help Clear the
Confusion
This time of year, Medicare Part D can
become confusing - and confusion leads to
expensive if you don't make the right
choice. Your state will provide you
with free counseling. Learn more about
the State Health Insurance Program and its
volunteer counselors. |
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Healthcare
Reform |
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Why Healthcare Reform Is Important to You
No matter how good your health insurance may
be, the 47 million uninsured Americans are
costing you money out of your pocket,
through both your taxes and your premiums.
Learn how that happens, and find resources
for learning more. |
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President Obama's Healthcare Address
to the AMA (June 15,
2009)
President Obama clearly spelled out
his wishes for healthcare reform,
and there is much to be desired by
patients in the address. Be
knowledgeable about the facts vs the
myths that those who prefer profits
over healing would have us believe. |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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The Truth and Lies About Senior
Death Warrants (August 4,
2009)
Arguments about healthcare reform
are inflamed by those who put
information in the public domain
that is not true, striking fear,
anger and confusion into the hearts
of American citizens. Learn about
one such effort to make you believe
fictional information, and what you
can do to make sure you aren't
spreading lies, too. |
PODCAST
AVAILABLE |
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Find a dozen or more articles on specific
questions of
healthcare reform at Trisha's About.com site. |
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