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Doctor Patient Communications |
 | The Doctor - Patient Disconnect
Command respect from your doctor. |
| No Room for White Lies
Fibbing to your doctor can be dangerous |
| Behold the Second Opinion
Second opinions are important, but there are some guidelines for getting the best information. |
| Three questions you should ask your doctor
The AskMe3 group provides guidelines to patients. |
| Follow Up on Test Results
Don't assume your doctor's office will provide test results when they come in. Be proactive! |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Who's Who in Health Care? (part II)
More designation translations for the alphabet soup of health care providers. |
| Do As You're Told!
Complying with your doctor's instructions is an important part of healing. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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. | 
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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. |
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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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| Come Again? Did You Hear Your Doctor Clearly?
One study showed that post-surgery, what 88% of patients thought they had been told about their outcomes, and the truth, were two different things. How clear are you on the information you've been given by your providers? Here is a simple step that will help you get the information you need - clearly. |
| The Internet and Your Doctor – Getting the Best from Both Worlds
Symptoms? Pain? Of course, we run to the Internet to do a little background research first.... But inevitably we need to have that conversation with our doctor. How can you balance the information they both supply without stepping on your doctor's toes or upsetting him or her? And how do you get the best information from each? Here's how. |
| Making Integrative Choices – Complementary and Alternative Medicine
More and more, we patients are interested in pursuing treatments or preventive approaches that are non-traditional. From acupunture for migraines to fish oil or reiki... when combined with traditional medicine, our approach is considered "integrative." Not all doctors buy-in, though - so how can we patients get the best of both? |
| Can Patients Know Too Much?
A website that provides education for physicians produced a video to teach them how to deal with difficult patients called The Patient Who Knows Too Much. Is that possible, that a patient can know TOO much? You might be surprised at my opinion. |
| A Dose of Reality - Your Doctor Appointment
In the “old” days, we could phone for a primary care doctor’s appointment in the morning, be seen right away, spend enough time with the doctor, leave with a treatment plan, and usually feel better within a day or two. But no longer! Knowing that so much has changed, how can you best prepare for a doctor appointment today? |
| Your Most Important Health Resolution for 2012
When considering health-related resolutions, you probably expect me to wax poetic on the virtue of losing weight or quitting smoking. But no, this resolution actually trumps them both. |
Medical Tests and Records |
| 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. |
| Records are yours for the taking (medical records - part II)
Learn how to get a hold of your medical records. |
| 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! |
| 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. |
| 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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| Catch a (Medical) Code!
Medical codes make your doctor's world go round, but more importantly, they affect the diagnosis you are given, then the tests and treatments you may receive. Learn about diagnosis and procedure codes, how to look them up, and how they may affect your healthcare. |
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| Technology Multiplies Mistakes in Medical Records
The use of technology like computers, the internet and electronic medical records will, overall, help to improve the healthcare we get. But once a mistake is made in those records, it can begin to grow bigger and may become dangerous. Learn how mistakes are replicated and how to protect your records for safer care. |
| 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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| Genetic Testing - Would You? Should You?
Consumers may soon be able to purchase genetic testing kits to figure out whether they have a genetic pre-disposition toward diseases like Alzheimer's or lung cancer. But does it really make sense for us patients to test ourselves? What are some of the pros and cons? |
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| Don't Let Medical Test Results Fall Through the Cracks
These days, every visit to the doctor - primary care or specialist - seems to result in an order for one test or another: a blood test, imaging test, urinalysis, PSA, mammogram or any other. The results are provided to your doctor - but does your doctor provide them to you? If not, don't assume it's because there was no problem. That can be dangerous. |
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Prescription Drugs |
| Ads for Prescription Drugs Are A Place to Start
Don't let those drug companies manipulate you |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Generic Drugs: What You Need to Know
What are generic drugs? How are they different? Can you benefit from their use? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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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| An Updated Body - But the Same Old Drugs?
Our bodies change over time. We may weigh more or less, may metabolize food differently, have physical limitations we didn't have before. But many of us have been taking the same old prescription drugs, in the same doses, for years. It may be time for a review. |
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| Report Problem Drugs and Malfunctioning Medical Devices
Just like your car can have mechanical problems, or your furnace can go on the fritz, so can pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices malfunction, too. Sometimes they weren't manufactured correctly. Other times they may be counterfeit. Learn how you can help identify these problems and how to report them to the FDA. |
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| Double Check New-to-the-Market Drugs
The FDA may approve a drug for our use, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Vioxx was approved for five years, killing or debilitating 27,000 Americans before it was pulled from the market. More drugs are found to be dangerous every year. So how can you tell if a new drug your doctor prescribes is safe for you? Here's how. |
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| How to Safely Buy Prescription Drugs Online
From saving money to convenience, we are all tempted to purchase our prescription drugs from online pharmacies. But is it safe? Or even legal? Here are some of the basics you need to know when you think you want to purchase your drugs online. |
Hospitals & Safety |
| 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. |
| Keep Yourself Safe from Hospital Acquired Infections
Learn more about the necessary steps, and the work by RID: Reduce Hospital Deaths |
| 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. |
| Use ICE on Your Cell Phone
This ICE can save your life: In Case of Emergency |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
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| Hospitals Are Employing Many New "Ists"
What's a Nocturnist? Or a Proceduralist? Or an Intensivist? Or a Hospitalist? These new hospital doctors are treating patients everyday. If you've been hospitalized, there's an excellent chance they treated you. Who are they? And what do smart patients know about these new "ists"? |
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| Choose the Best Hospital for You
Most of us choose a doctor, then, if we need to be hospitalized, we go to the hospital the doctor tells us to go to. But there is danger in that choice. Learn more about how to be sure you are choosing the best, and safest, hospital for you. |
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| Your Hospital Safety Packing List
Headed to the hospital? Remember, you'll be asleep, drugged, tested and in pain for much of your stay. That's when mistakes are made, maiming or killing thousands of American patients each year. Here are some items you can take with you to the hospital to improve your chances of staying safe. |
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| Patient Satisfaction - Coming to a Hospital near You
Think back to a time you or a loved one was hospitalized.... Would you consider yourself a satisfied customer? Few would - but that may be changing soon. Beginning in 2012, as part of the Affordable Care Act (healthcare reform), hospital reimbursements will be partially based on how well their customers - us patients - felt served. Learn more about how this works and why it may benefit us patients. |
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| Informed Consent Requires Clarity - Do You Have It?
We hear of bait-and-switch when it comes to retail discounts or the Sunday coupons, but did you know that Informed Consent documents set us patients up for bait-and-switch, too? Here's what you need to know to be sure your test or procedure will work the way you expect it will. |
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| An Open Letter to Hospitals
Hospital Report Cards give hospitals an objective assessment of how well they are doing their jobs. We patients can learn from these Report Cards, because they provide an indication of how safe we are and whether our needs will be met. Learn more about what is measured and how you can learn more about your local hospitals. |
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| Choosing a Safer Hospital
In my last column, I shared with you an open letter to hospitals based on their sorry report cards for providing safe care to patients. So how can patients protect themselves from those hospitals with bad track records? Here is an approach to making sure you choose the safest one for you. |
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Compliance |
| No Room for White Lies
Fibbing to your doctor can be dangerous |
| 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 |
| What if you've only got a few months to live?
Trisha explains why she became "Every Patient's Advocate" |
| The Problem with "Should"
A bow to National Patient Safety Week and how to prevent misdiagnosis. |
| The Flip of a Coin Isn't Good Enough
The Rand Healthcare report = we all get shoddy health care. |
| MRSA - Every Hospital's Dirty Little Secret
Learn how to protect yourself from this "superbug" infection that can kill. |
| 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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| When Your Symptoms Won't Go Away
You've done everything right - talked to your doctor, reviewed your drug prescription, even learned more about your diagnosis online - but - your treatment doesn't seem to be working. Frustrating! You just aren't getting better. So what are you supposed to do now? Here's one approach. |
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| Be a Tattletale!
If you are harmed while seeking medical care, and you stay silent, then the next person might be hurt, too. You owe it to yourself and others to complain. Learn how to report problems to the right authorities - those who can do something with your informaton. Here's a great resource to help you figure out how to do it right. |
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| What Your Doctor Doesn't Know Can Hurt You
It may surprise you to learn that specialists - doctors with advanced training in specific body systems or diseases, focus so much on those specialty areas that they lack knowledge and training in some of the basics. That means that unless you see the right kind of doctor, you may not be properly diagnosed. Learn how to be sure you're seeing the doctor who can properly diagnose and treat you. |
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Use of the Internet for Health-Related Research |
| 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. |
| Are You a Cyberchondriac?
Using the internet to self-diagnose can get in the way of a good medical outcome. |
| Getting the Support You Need
Sometimes medical professionals can't answer all your questions. When that happens, turn to other patients for support. |
| Use the Internet Wisely to Find Reliable Health Information (part I)
Learn about Health on the Net (HON) and how it can help you. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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? |
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| Can You Trust the Internet for Your Diagnosis?
We all do it. At the moment we experience unusual symptoms, or in an effort to avoid a doctor's appointment, we spend some time online to figure out what's wrong with us. But then what? Not only can't we really get the information we want and need, we can create bigger problems for ourselves, too. Learn why and how and what to do instead. |
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| Avoiding Misinformation Online
The Internet is now the number one resource for 80 percent of us when we seek health information. Unfortunately, it's also the location of way too much misinformation, disinformation - even snake oil. How can you tell which information is useful to you, and which information is intended only to separate you from your hard-earned money? |
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| Is It Safe to Purchase Drugs Online?
From saving money to convenience, we are all tempted to purchase our prescription drugs from online pharmacies. But is it safe? Or even legal? Here are some of the basics you need to know when you think you want to purchase your drugs online. |
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Miscellaneous |
| Listen to Your Inner Voice
Intuition? Instinct? It's there to help! |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Who's Who in Health Care? (part II)
More designation translations for the alphabet soup of health care providers. |
| 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. |
| Evolving Options
Integrative Medicine -- Alternative and Complementary Therapies -- much to learn and choices to make. |
| 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! |
| Resolutions for Sharp Patients
Prepare yourself for 2007 with these easy, but effective ideas for finding your best medical outcome. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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? |
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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. |
| 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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| When Identity Theft Becomes Dangerous
Having your financial information stolen is costly and a major headache to clear up. But having your medical identity stolen can be life threatening. Learn about medical identity theft and how you can prevent it from happening to you. |
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| Get Smart! (phones) to Improve Your Health
A smartphone, like an iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm or others, can help you get healthier through the use of hundreds of health-related apps. Learn what apps are, how they can be useful, and the ways you might improve your health by using them. |
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| An Advocate by Your Side
Whether you are stunned by a new diagnosis, or groggy from the drugs you've been given, you won't be able to ask all the right questions or process all the information you need in order to make the best decisions for yourself. Who will help you? A patient advocate. Here's what you need to know about finding someone to advocate for you. |
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| Holiday Gifts for Empowered Patients
It's often difficult to think of a good gift for someone who is having health or medical challenges. But here are a handful of suggestions for great gifts that require no more than your time, ability or thoughtfulness. And a nice surprise - the very best gift is one you give yourself. |
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| Medical News Requires Getting Past the Headlines
Those headlines grab our attention. "Berries ward off Parkinson's Disease" and "Musical exercise program cuts falls for the elderly" But when you read the rest of the story, you realize how deceptive those headlines are. Here's some advice for figuring out what you can, and can't believe from those headlines. |
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| Healthy Travel Tips
Travel takes you out of your normal environment and disturbs your routine. If you have health issues, like a chronic disease, an injury, or even a short-term illness, it’s smart to prepare ahead of time for those changes and accommodate for them where possible. You’ll want to be sure your travel doesn’t upset your health, and your health doesn’t upset your travel. |
| Check Out Those Health Charities Before You Donate
It's that time of year when every charitable organization asks us to donate money. And we do! But how often do you check to make sure that your money is going to an organization that will spend it the way you hope? It turns out that some of the most well-known charities may be making choices you don't agree with, including spending too much of their money on administrative costs, and too little on education or research or a cure. Here's some advice for learning more about those charities before you send them your money. |
| 10 Patient Empowerment Tips to Post on Your Refrigerator Door
The refrigerator door - in our home, perhaps like yours, it's a center of information, souvenirs and our grandchildren's artwork (yes - I said grandchildren - you didn't know I was old enough, did you? !!) So it seems like a great place to hang reminders of the many ways we can be smart patients! Plus, I've created a fun, but informative poster from the 10 tips, too - which you can download for free. |
Healthcare Costs and Consumerism |
| 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. |
| 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! |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
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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. |
| Finding Help for Your Healthcare System Complaints
Each state provides different resources and complaint processes for getting help and answers to problems with your care. From complaints about doctors, to too little insurance reimbursement or denials of care, you'll want to know how to get your complaints resolved. |
| Medicare Open Enrollment: Time to Figure It Out
Medicare Open Enrollment, when it's time to choose the right Medicare plan, can be frustrating and overwhelming. Medicare patients are faced with so many choices that it's easy to become confused. Here are some excellent resources to support Medicare decision-making, saving headaches, and money, too. |
| Can You Really Save Money With a High Deductible Health Insurance Plan?
With their much lower premiums, high deductible health insurance plans, also called "catastrophic" plans are so tempting! For some families they are a great choice, but for others, they end up being "catastropic" for all the wrong reasons. With Open Enrollment time here, it's your opportunity to spend some time making the right decisions for your family. Learn more about your options, and make the right choice for your health and your wallet. |
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Healthcare Reform |
| 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. |
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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. |
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| What Empowered Patients Need to Know About Healthcare Reform (March 30, 2010)
Passage of healthcare reform in the United States is more about money than quality of care. Confusion and frustration will lead to quality of care problems that we may be able to forestall by taking steps today. Here's what you need to know to make sure you get the medical care you deserve. |
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| Affordable Care May Mean Impossible Care (September 2010)
The Young Adult provision of the new Affordable Care Act will kick in soon. Whether or not you have a young person in your life who can take advantage of it, their new-found access will get in your way. Learn more about how this provision will affect you and what you can do about it. |
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| Healthcare Reform Offers No-Cost Preventive Services (October 2010)
Once your new healthcare insurance plan kicks in (for most of us, January 1) you'll no longer pay out-of-pocket for dozens of preventive health services. Learn about the reasoning behind "free" prevention - and what services will be covered at no additional expense to you. |
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| An Open Letter to My Congressional Representative About Repeal of Healthcare Reform
(December 2010)
Ann Marie Buerkle was elected to the US Congress in the 25th District of New York. It took several weeks to count ballots because the election was so close (a few hundred votes.) While this column is addressed to Ms. Buerkle, it is intended for any newly elected American Congressional Representative whose platform included the intention to repeal the new healthcare reform law. |
| Find a dozen or more healthcare reform articles addressing specific questions, updated since passage of reform in March 2010, at Trisha's About.com site. |
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