Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Parrish Medical Center - (Page 23)

SITUATION : I’M ON VACATION AND NEED A PRESCRIPTION. SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Find a local pharmacy, and pack wisely. If you’ve forgotten a prescription medication at home, you can call your pharmacy and have it relay your prescription to a drugstore wherever you are staying. If you use a national chain, it’s even easier, as your records are part of a larger database from which the local pharmacy can pull information. Know this, however: Some prescriptions— particularly painkillers—are controlled substances and highly regulated. Getting reﬁlls on the road is much more complicated, if it can be done at all. Sometimes, a missing prescription isn’t the result of forgetfulness. You may want to keep your prescription in your carry-on when you travel, lest you arrive at your destination and your checked luggage goes vacationing to Aruba. online Don’t Wait. Determine Your Risk for Heart Disease Go to parrishmed.com/healthaware and take a FREE seven-minute heart risk assessment. Questions, Questions You’ve made an appointment to see a physician. now what? instead of sitting in the waiting room, thumbing through a dog-eared copy of Popular Mechanics, pull out a piece of paper and make a list of questions. Think through how you’re feeling and jot down the questions you need answers for—and prioritize them. According to Sandra Perez, director of the California office of the Patient Advocate, patients often get flustered once they step into the exam room—and all the important questions slip away. She suggests taking a notebook in when you see the doctor and getting the “doorknob question” out of the way first. “Doctors call it the doorknob question because as they are leaving, they grab the doorknob, and the patient always has another question,” Perez says. “And it usually turns out to be the most important one.” So make a list. And use it. I’M CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST OF MY TEST OR PROCEDURE. SITUATION : SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Do your homework, and be well informed. A well-informed consumer is well armed. Check with your doctor before having tests done. Sometimes, physicians are afﬁliated with multiple hospitals, and you may ﬁnd that one offers services at a more cost-effective rate. Ask to have all costs spelled out for you. That way, there won’t be any surprises. Finally, look over every portion of your bill. Although unintentional, coding errors do occur. If you’re confused, check with the hospital’s patient advocate, who can walk you through the bill’s nuances. Another way to avoid sticker shock: Clear treatments or procedures through your insurance company in advance. Some people are scared of the math involved in deductions and copayments, so they stick their head in the proverbial sand, hoping they will get a bill that’s palatable. Trust us. It’s better to know what’s happening beforehand. Vim & Vigor · SPRI NG 2012 23 http://www.parrishmed.com/healthaware

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Parrish Medical Center
Contents
Tasty Tips
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
In the Business of Healing People
What's New?
Get Real
How Far We’ve Come
Patient Survival Guide
Perfect Attendance
A New Day
Lean on Me
Intimidated by the Gym?
What Is Your Volunteer Style?
A Prescription for Relief
Community Health
Joe Knows Stress
SPECIAL: Caring for the Littlest Bones and Joints
Foundation Focus
Ask the Expert

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Parrish Medical Center