Comments for Every Patient's Advocate

Comment on 10 Patient Empowerment Tips to Post on Your Refrigerator Door by Refrigerator door advice | The Valley Health Report

Refrigerator door advice | The Valley Health Report — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:04:30 +0000

[...] blog gives regular folks an enormous amount of information about taking charge of their health. This post is worth printing out and posting on your refrigerator door, to remind you and your loved ones [...]

Comment on 10 Patient Empowerment Tips to Post on Your Refrigerator Door by Robert O'Connor

Robert O'Connor — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:08 +0000

Thanks, Trisha, for compiling this list and putting it into a nice compact format. Now if we can get many others to print it and use it, it would help a lot.

Comment on The 2012 Elections and the Issue of Healthcare Reform by Trisha Torrey

Trisha Torrey — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:39:24 +0000

Joni,

My guess is that this is an attempt to manage insured’s expectations. Most aspects of the Affordable Care Act don’t take effect until 2013, including the fact that cost ceilings are no longer allowed. They seem to be pointing out that fact, with a bit of a dig, and almost setting the stage for higher premiums next year when they are forced to be compliant.

Just my take….
Trisha

Comment on The 2012 Elections and the Issue of Healthcare Reform by Joni

Joni — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:32:20 +0000

Thanks Trisha. I’ve done a little research on my own as I helped my daughter complete paperwork for her company sponsored health insurance. As I read the disclaimer below I had to pause before I jumped into changing her policy. Still analyzing and comparing…Joni

I read “Your health insurance coverage does not meet the minimum standards required by the Affordable Care Act. Instead is has the following annual limits: (lists coverage and limits).

“In order to apply the lower limits described above, your health plan requested a waiver of the requirement that coverage for key benefits be at least $750,000 this year. That waiver was granted by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services based on your health plans’ representation that providing $750,000 in coverage for key benefits would result in a significant increase in your premium or a significant decrease in your access to benefits. This waiver is valid for one year.”

Comment on Check Out Those Health Charities Before You Donate by Jamie Gallisdorfer

Jamie Gallisdorfer — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:20:17 +0000

Trisha,

I just read your blog post. I wanted to share another resource that can assist donors in their decision making process. Community Health Charities represents more than 60 of America’s most recognized health charities in the workplace to facilitate employee giving.

Most employers strive to provide their employees a portfolio of credible and respected charities that they can elect to make regular charitable gifts to with every paycheck they receive.

Each year, Community Health Charities reviews its members to ensure the health charities in its portfolio meets the high expectation and needs for corporations who wish to include only the most respected health charities.

In addition to its national members, their 36 affiliate offices review and represent approximately an additional 500 local health charities that may be unique to a particular region or area.

The web site of the organization, http://www.healthcharities.org, provides a list of its membership, along with profiles of each of organization which includes recent financial information and recent accomplishments in achieving their missions.

I think people that read your post will find it to be a valuable resource and tool in their decision making process.

Comment on A Dose of Reality – Today’s Doctor Appointment by Pop

Pop — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:55:40 +0000

I don’t think the answer is to further accommodate and subordinate ourselves for the benefit of draconian insurance policies. Let patients and doctors come together to change the paradigm, not toe the profit line.

Comment on A Dose of Reality – Today’s Doctor Appointment by ellen

ellen — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:35:02 +0000

Maybe the doctor’s reimbursement rates are low but they agreed to it. I pay $1585 a month for an individual health insurance policy. My premiums are certainly not small. If it takes so long to make an initial appointment and the doctors rush you out the door, then why do I have to wait and make another appointment to have my questions answered. This advice is foolish. Add the mix of the doctor will get more reimbusements from the insurance company for not ordering much needed x rays or tests and yes you get frustrated, because what could be taken care of in a week or two ends up lasting months or years. It took my sister 10 years to be diagnosed with a brain tumor. The way the physicians are handling their patients today can have deadly concequences like hers.

Comment on A Dose of Reality – Today’s Doctor Appointment by Trisha Torrey

Trisha Torrey — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:12:34 +0000

Peach, I'm not really sure what you are asking here. But if you are asking why it is doctors can't spend more time with you, or why you wait too long in the waiting room, you can find those explanations here, then both answers are because primary care doctors' reimbursement rates are so low, they need to see too many people in one day. Here are expanded explanations: Why Is My Doctor in Such a Hurry? Why Won't He Spend Enough Time with Me? Why Do I Wait In the Waiting Room for Such a Long Time at a Doctors Appointment?

Comment on A Dose of Reality – Today’s Doctor Appointment by peach

peach — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:29:15 +0000

I would like to see more information on how

“the insurance reimbursement system doesn’t make that possible.” (a quote from this article)…thank you

Comment on Choosing a Safer Hospital by Emily

Emily — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:29:21 +0000

Unfortunately, many patients are limited to the hospitals that in their insurance plan, or to the hospital where their doctor has privileges. But I do agree that most firt-time hospital patients are naive about the dangers that lurk in hospitals. They blindly trust that they’re in good hands.