1 / 26

How To Be A Better Health Care Consumer

How To Be A Better Health Care Consumer. What is The Alliance?. Employer-owned, not-for-profit health care purchasing cooperative. Freedom to choose from more than 90 hospitals and 18,300 professional service providers.

roderickl
Télécharger la présentation

How To Be A Better Health Care Consumer

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. How To Be A Better Health Care Consumer

  2. What is The Alliance? • Employer-owned, not-for-profit health care purchasing cooperative. • Freedom to choose from more than 90 hospitals and 18,300 professional service providers. • Creates resources to help you and your family become more informed about health care choices.

  3. Today’s Goals • Increase your awareness of the safety and quality of our health care system and its impact on you • Provide tools to help you become a better educated health care consumer • Help you maximize the effectiveness of each health care appointment

  4. What is Health Care Quality? • Doing the right thing • Doing it at the right time • Doing it the right way

  5. Quality Problems • Underuse • Care that would benefit patients, isn’t given. • Overuse • Care that is unnecessary or where the risks outweigh the benefits. • Misuse • Complications caused by patients who do not follow doctors’ orders & doctors who misdiagnose their patients.

  6. 30% of health care is not necessary • Check out the Avoiding Unnecessary Carepage on our website www.the-alliance.org/individuals-and-families/better-health-care-consumer/avoiding-unnecessary-care • Hard decisions about cancer • 5 tests and treatments to question • Using caution when taking antibiotics • Deciding when you need a test • Info on 19 common health tests (e.g. allergies, colonoscopy, imaging tests, bone-density, etc.)

  7. Cost In Perspective • Self Funding • The employer assumes the financial risk of providing health care benefits to employees. • The employer pays for employee medical claims out-of-pocket as they occur.

  8. Share in Your Medical Decisions • Let your provider know that you want to be an active partner in your health care. • Do your own research: • www.the-alliance.org • www.webmd.com • www.choosingwisely.org • www.crbestbuydrugs.com • Ask why? • State your preferences. • Compare your expectations with those of your provider. • Accept responsibility.

  9. Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor • Free wallet cards are available

  10. Bring a Friend or Family Member • A personal representative, or health advocate, can: • Get information and ask questions when you can’t. • Remind you about instructions and help you make decisions. • Find out who to go to if you are not getting the care you need.

  11. Remember… • Let your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist know if you still don’t understand something. • You don’t need to feel rushed or embarrassed if you don’t understand something. • You can ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist a question as many times as you need to. • Be honest with your doctor, don’t tell them what you think they want to hear. Asking questions helps you understand how to stay well or get better!

  12. Keep and Bring a List of All the Medicines You Take • Give your doctor and pharmacist a list of all the medicines you take, including non-prescription medicines. • This includes vitamins and herbal supplements. • Tell them about any allergies you may have. Medication errors are the most common type of medical error!

  13. Medication Checklist • Review your medications • Ask about medications that you were already taking. • Bring up cost. • Make sure you can read new prescriptions. • Fill your prescriptions promptly. • Review your drugs with your primary care physician. • Keep an up-to-date drug list.

  14. Best Drugs For Less • Free copies available • 64 pages of science-based comparative drug info • Questions to ask your doctor when starting a new drug • Info on generic prescriptions • 8 ways to save big on your medication • What over-the-counter drug labels really mean

  15. Where Should I Go? • When you’re sick or injured, knowing where to go to seek care can make a big difference • … in how long you have to wait. • … in how much you spend to feel better. • Check out our Health Care Needs Guide on page 2 of your workbook for options and information.

  16. Making the Most of Each Visit - Before the Visit • Before you go, bring along all of the following information: • Current insurance card • Social Security number • Emergency contact information • Employer information • A referral or order, if required • Any previous x-rays, if requested • An interpreter, if needed

  17. Making the Most of Each Visit - During the Visit • State your main concern first • Describe your symptoms • Describe past experiences with the same concern • Ask questions about things you don’t understand • Take notes, even if you understand what is being said

  18. Making the Most of Each Visit - At the End of the Visit • Am I to return for another visit? • Am I to phone in for test results or login online? • What side effects or concerns should I look for? • When do I need to follow up? • Anything else I need to know?

  19. When You See a Specialist • Know the diagnosis or suspected diagnosis • Learn about basic treatment options • Make sure the specialist has all test results and records on your case • Make sure you know why the tests are being done • Ask: Are these tests necessary? • Don’t repeat tests!

  20. If You Are Facing Surgery • Most surgeries are not emergencies. • This means that you have time to make sure that this surgery is the best treatment for you. • Refer to the toolkit for important questions you should ask if facing surgery.

  21. Cost Matters Cost varies: • You could pay more for the exact same type of care depending on which hospital you choose. What you pay is not related to the quality of your care. • High-quality care doesn’t necessarily cost more.

  22. 11 miles in 17 minutes = $5,000difference Arthroscopic Knee Surgery for Torn Cartilage Examples From The Alliance Market Janesville and Beloit Fort Atkinson and Madison Madison and Madison .25 miles = $3,560difference 41 miles in 53 minutes = $2,260difference Source: FindADoctor.the-alliance.org accessed 12/14/2017; Source for Distance and Time: www.google.com/maps

  23. Know The costs. Compare the quality.Skip the surprises. www.the-alliance.org Click on the Find a Doctor button:

  24. 3 Ways to Spend Less and Find Quality Care #1 Save by Staying In-Network All searches on Find a Doctor show only in-network providers. #3 Look for the Symbols Facility Fees Hospital Safety Score Primary care performance rating Hospital birthing care rating More Information Best Price Tier #2 Check the Cost Login to Find a Doctor to access the estimated costs of more than 50 procedures. For additional procedures or locations, contact Customer Service at 800.223.4139 or findadoctor@the-alliance.org

  25. The single most important way you can help get safe, quality care while reducing your costs is to be an active participant in your health care!

  26. Questions? • Call Customer Service at The Alliance Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. • Or email: FindaDoctor@The-Alliance.org

More Related