PROTECT YOUR PURSE BEFORE THE DOCTOR BILL

HOW TO MITIGATE YOUR HEALTH CARE COSTS

from Forbes.com via TW

by Carolyn McClanahan April 29

@Carolyn McC

Sad to admit that I never knew the definition of these words that impact my health money;

"An out-of-network provider is one which has not contracted with your insurancecompany for reimbursement at a negotiated rate. Some health plans, like HMOs, donot reimburse out-of-network providers at all, which means that as the patient, you would be responsible for the full amount charged by your doctor"   13, 2018

What is an Out-of-Network Provider? - Verywell

 This fine, clear article gives me places to guard against costs from such out-of-network providers.

For instance:  I've been asking "Do you take my insurance?"  Instead I need to find out if the doctor or doctors, and what's may be done or suggested is "in my network???"

Turns out we should be asking if anything out of network is going to be done to us,  if so, we have to insist on particulars, and WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN.

Then we have to do something I've tried in the past, that I always thought was ignored:

We have to write everywhere in advance that nothing is to be done by and no one is allowed to participate that's out of network."

She also wants us to stand guard against unknown doctors participating and ordering before we meet them, and to insist on all the pros and cons on unknown medicines and how long they might be in out lives.  And much, much more.

If you get a chance, get a copy of Forbes and cut out this article.  Maybe frame it?  

STRESS AND AGE: Two comforting sentences

Friends in senior housing often say:  Why do people always ask me what I do all day!  I do what I did before! (And from the looks of my file drawer, I do that PLUS endless, sometimes infuriating, health/med paper work. And other stresses like that eye doctor who disappeared.) Too often families, friends, and even nurses or doctors may think we have it easier as we age...until they age themselves.

 So, although I didn't agree with all of a recent e-mail "teaser'' from Harvard Health, I salute them - I thank them for  these two sentences admitting the possibilities for our increased stress;

 "Your stress may also be caused by different factors, which 

could be more complicated than the issues you faced in your younger years. ...

Signs of stress may mimic symptoms of memory loss or dementia  or include 

appetite changes, headaches, anxiety, irritability, or trouble concentrating. ''

This second sentence gives me such relief from popular talk and dangerous magazine articles that love to label stress symptoms as signs of "she's losing it, she probably has..."  etc.

We need the medical world to publish more reminders that too many problems including paper work (and missing med persons) might make us seem "like like she's finally lost it" now and then.


I wish for us that kind of admission and reassurance from the medical world more often.


quote from Harvard Medical School HEALTHbeat