As you seek treatment for your problem, you will need to advocate on behalf of yourself on several levels:
- Make sure you know and comply with your health insurance rules and procedures – Do you need to get tests, referrals or procedures (even if they are outpatient procedures) preauthorized or precertified?
- Make sure you see physicians and use facilities that are in your health insurance provider’s Preferred Network. Otherwise, your share of payments may be larger than if you “stayed in network.”
- Try to move things along as quickly as possible. The people scheduling the tests & appointments are going to try to fit you in to the schedule where space allows. If the test can be done at more than one location, you may want to ask whether it can be done sooner at a different location. Similarly, some doctors practice at more than one office.
- If the appointment gets scheduled further out than you’d like, ask to be put on a waiting list. That’s how I was able to get my thyroid removed 3 months earlier than it was originally scheduled. Someone canceled a week before their operation & the surgeon’s office called me to see if I would like to take their place. I had to scramble to get a few tests done, but I was able to do it and forego three months of anxiety while waiting for the original date. I can relax.
Another non-medical reason to try to move things along could have to do with where in your insurance policy year you are and where you stand in regard to your deductible. If you have already met your deductible for the year, your insurer will usually be paying a greater share of your health care expenses for the balance of the year. Therefore, it may be financially to your benefit to get your surgery within this year rather than waiting until the following year. A full explanation is beyond the scope of this blog and really depends upon individual circumstances and health insurance coverage. Next time we’ll talk about planning ahead!
Happy New Year!!
For Your Health – Dr. Bob