Choosing
and Using a Health Plan
Contents
Changes and Choices
Overview
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Choosing a Plan
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1. What Are My Health
Plan Choices?
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2. Where Do I Get These
Health Plans?
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3. What Plan Benefits
Are Offered?
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4. What Is Most
Important to Me in a Plan?
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5. How Do I Compare
Health Plans?
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6. How Do I Find
Out About Quality?
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Using
Care
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7.
How Can I Get the Most from My Plan?
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8.
How Do I Obtain Care?
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9.
What if I Have to Go to the Hospital?
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10.
What if I Am Not Satisfied with My Care?
Primary Care Doctors
Pre-Existing
Conditions
Tips on Choosing
a Doctor
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Sources
of Additional Information
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General
Information
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Accreditation
and Quality
Changes
and Choices
Health care in America is changing
rapidly. Twenty-five years ago, most people in the United States had indemnity
insurance coverage. A person with indemnity insurance could go to any doctor,
hospital, or other provider (which would bill for each service given),
and the insurance and the patient would each pay part of the bill.
But today, more than half of all
Americans who have health insurance are enrolled in some kind of managed
care plan, an organized way of both providing services and paying for them.
Different types of managed care plans work differently and include preferred
provider organizations (PPOs), health maintenance organizations (HMOs),
and point-of-service (POS) plans.
You've probably heard these
terms before. But what do they mean, and what are the differences between
them? And what do these differences mean to you?
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Overview
This booklet can help you make sense
of your choices for getting health care insurance:
Even if you don't get to choose the
health plan yourself (for example, your employer may select the plan for
your company), you still need to understand what kind of protection your
health plan provides and what you will need to do to get the health care
that you and your family need.
The more you learn, the more
easily you'll be able to decide what fits your personal needs and budget.
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to Contents
Choosing
a Plan
1. What Are My
Health Plan Choices?
Choosing between health plans is not
as easy as it once was. Although there is no one "best" plan, there are
some plans that will be better than others for you and your family's health
needs. Plans differ, both in how much you have to pay and how easy it is
to get the services you need. Although no plan will pay for all the costs
associated with your medical care, some plans will cover more than others.
Almost all plans today have
ways to reduce unnecessary use of health care—and keep down the costs of
health care, too. This may affect how easily you get the care you want,
but should not affect how easily you get the care you need.
Plans change from year to year,
so you should carefully consider each plan, using the questions outlined
in this booklet. If you get health insurance where you work, you should
start with your employee benefits office. Its staff should be able to tell
you what is covered under the plans available. You can also call plans
directly to ask questions.
Health insurance plans are
usually described as either indemnity (fee-for-service) or managed care.
These types of plans differ in important ways that are described below.
With any health plan, however, there is a basic premium, which is how much
you or your employer pay, usually monthly, to buy health insurance coverage.
In addition, there are often other
payments you must make, which will vary by plan. In considering any plan,
you should try to figure out its total cost to you and your family, especially
if someone in the family has a chronic or serious health condition.
Indemnity and managed care
plans differ in their basic approach. Put broadly, the major differences
concern choice of providers, out-of-pocket costs for covered services,
and how bills are paid. Usually, indemnity plans offer more choice of doctors
(including specialists, such as cardiologists and surgeons), hospitals,
and other health care providers than managed care plans. Indemnity plans
pay their share of the costs of a service only after they receive a bill.
Managed care plans have agreements
with certain doctors, hospitals, and health care providers to give a range
of services to plan members at reduced cost. In general, you will have
less paperwork and lower out-of-pocket costs if you select a managed care
type plan and a broader choice of health care providers if you select an
indemnity-type plan.
Over time, the distinctions between
these kinds of plans have begun to blur as health plans compete for your
business. Some indemnity plans offer managed care-type options, and some
managed care plans offer members the opportunity to use providers who are
"outside" the plan. This makes it even more important for you to understand
how your health plan works.
Besides indemnity plans, there
are basically three types of managed care plans: PPOs, HMOs, and POS plans.
Indemnity Plan
With an indemnity plan (sometimes called
fee-for-service), you can use any medical provider (such as a doctor and
hospital). You or they send the bill to the insurance company, which pays
part of it. Usually, you have a deductible—such as $200—to pay each year
before the insurer starts paying.
Once you meet the deductible,
most indemnity plans pay a percentage of what they consider the "Usual
and Customary" charge for covered services. The insurer generally pays
80 percent of the Usual and Customary costs and you pay the other 20 percent,
which is known as coinsurance. If the provider charges more than the Usual
and Customary rates, you will have to pay both the coinsurance and the
difference.
The plan will pay for charges for
medical tests and prescriptions as well as from doctors and hospitals.
It may not pay for some preventive care, like checkups.
Managed Care
Preferred Provider
Organization (PPO). A PPO is a form of managed care closest
to an indemnity plan. A PPO has arrangements with doctors, hospitals, and
other providers of care who have agreed to accept lower fees from the insurer
for their services.
As a result, your cost sharing should
be lower than if you go outside the network. In addition to the PPO doctors
making referrals, plan members can refer themselves to other doctors, including
ones outside the plan.
If you go to a doctor within
the PPO network, you will pay a co-payment (a set amount you pay for certain
services—say $10 for a doctor or $5 for a prescription). Your coinsurance
will be based on lower charges for PPO members.
If you choose to go outside
the network, you will have to meet the deductible and pay coinsurance based
on higher charges. In addition, you may have to pay the difference between
what the provider charges and what the plan will pay.
Health
Maintenance Organization (HMO). HMOs are the oldest form of
managed care plan. HMOs offer members a range of health benefits, including
preventive care, for a set monthly fee. There are many kinds of HMOs.
If doctors are employees of the health
plan and you visit them at central medical offices or clinics, it is a
staff or group model HMO. Other HMOs contract with physician groups or
individual doctors who have private offices. These are called individual
practice associations (IPAs) or networks.
HMOs will give you a list of
doctors from which to choose a primary care doctor. This doctor coordinates
your care, which means that generally you must contact him or her to be
referred to a specialist.
With some HMOs, you will pay nothing
when you visit doctors. With other HMOs there may be a co-payment, like
$5 or $10, for various services.
If you belong to an HMO, the
plan only covers the cost of charges for doctors in that HMO. If you go
outside the HMO, you will pay the bill. This is not the case with point-of-service
plans.
Point-of-Service
(POS) Plan. Many HMOs offer an indemnity-type option known as
a POS plan. The primary care doctors in a POS plan usually make referrals
to other providers in the plan. But in a POS plan, members can refer themselves
outside the plan and still get some coverage.
If the doctor makes a referral out
of the network, the plan pays all or most of the bill. If you refer yourself
to a provider outside the network and the service is covered by the plan,
you will have to pay coinsurance.
Primary
Care Doctors
Your primary care doctor will serve
as your regular doctor, managing your care and working with you to make
most of the medical decisions about your care as a patient. In many plans,
care by specialists is only paid for if your are referred by your primary
care doctor.
An HMO or a POS plan will provide
you with a list of doctors from which you will choose your primary care
doctor (usually a family physician, internists, obstetrician-gynecologist,
or pedicatrician). This could mean you might have to choose a new primary
care doctor if your current one does not belong to the plan.
PPOs allow members to use primary
care doctors outside the PPO network (at a higher cost). Indemnity plans
allow any doctor to be used.
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2. Where Do I
Get These Health Plans?
Group Policies
You may be able to get group health
coverage—either indemnity or managed care—through your job or the job of
a family member.
Many employers allow you to join
or change health plans once a year during open enrollment. But once you
choose a plan, you must keep it for a year. Discuss choices and limits
with your employee benefits office.
Individual Policies
If you are self-employed or if your
company does not offer group policies, you may need to buy individual health
insurance. Individual policies cost more than group policies.
Some organizations—such as unions,
professional associations, or social or civic groups—offer health plans
for members. You may want to talk to an insurance broker, who can tell
you more about the indemnity and managed care plans that are available
for individuals. Some States also provide insurance for very small groups
or the self-employed.
Medicare
Americans age 65 or older and people
with certain disabilities can be covered under Medicare, a Federal health
insurance program.
In many parts of the country,
people covered under Medicare now have a choice between managed care and
indemnity plans. They also can switch their plans for any reason. However,
they must officially tell the plan or the local Social Security Office,
and the change may not take effect for up to 30 days. Call your local Social
Security office or the State office on aging to find out what is available
in your area.
Medicaid
Medicaid covers some low-income people
(especially children and pregnant women), and disabled people. Medicaid
is a joint Federal-State health insurance program that is run by the States.
In some cases, States require
people covered under Medicaid to join managed care plans. Insurance plans
and State regulations differ, so check with your State Medicaid office
to learn more.
Pre-Existing Conditions
A pre-existing condition is a medical
condition diagnosed or treated before joining a new plan. In the past,
health care given for a pre-existing condition often has not been covered
for someone who joins a new plan until after a waiting period. However,
a new law—called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act—changes
the rules.
Under the law, most of which
goes into effect on July 1, 1997, a pre-existing condition will be covered
without a waiting period when you join a new group plan if you have been
insured the previous 12 months. This means that if you remain insured for
12 months or more, you will be able to go from one job to another, and
your pre-existing condition will be covered—without additional waiting
periods—even if you have a chronic illness.
If you have a pre-existing
condition and have not been insured the previous 12 months before joining
a new plan, the longest you will have to wait before you are covered for
that condition is 12 months.
To find out how this new law
affects you, check with either your employer benefits office or your health
plan.
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3. What Plan Benefits
Are Offered?
Most plans provide basic medical coverage,
but the details are what counts. The best plan for someone else may not
be the best plan for you. For each plan you are considering, find out how
it handles:
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Physical exams and health screenings.
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Care by specialists.
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Hospitalization and emergency care.
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Prescription drugs.
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Vision care.
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Dental services.
Also ask about:
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Care and counseling for mental health.
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Services for drug and alcohol abuse.
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Obstetrical-gynecological care and family
planning services.
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Ongoing care for chronic (long-term)
diseases, conditions, or disabilities.
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Physical therapy and other rehabilitative
care.
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Home health, nursing home, and hospice
care.
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Chiropractic or alternative health care,
such as acupuncture.
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Experimental treatments.
Some plans offer members health education
and preventive care, but services differ. Ask questions such as:
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What preventive care is offered, such
as shots for children?
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What health screenings are given, such
as breast exams and Pap smears for women?
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Does the plan help people who want to
quit smoking?
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4. What Is Most
Important to Me in a Plan?
In choosing a plan, you have to decide
what is most important to you. All plans have tradeoffs. Ask yourself these
questions:
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How comprehensive do I want coverage
of health care services to be?
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How do I feel about limits on my choice
of doctors or hospitals?
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How do I feel about a primary care doctor
referring me to specialists for additional care?
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How convenient does my care need to
be?
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How important is the cost of services?
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How much am I willing to spend on premiums
and other health care costs?
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How do I feel about keeping receipts
and filing claims?
You might also want to think about whether
the services a plan offers meet your needs. Call the plan for details about
coverage if you have questions. Consider:
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Life changes you may be thinking about,
such as starting a family or retiring.
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Chronic health conditions or disabilities
that you or family members have.
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If you or anyone in your family will
need care for the elderly.
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Care for family members who travel a
lot, attend college, or spend time at two homes.
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5.
How Do I Compare Health Plans?
After you review what benefits are available
and decide what is important to you, you can compare plans. Many things
should be considered. These include services offered, choice of providers,
location, and costs. The quality of care is also a factor to think about
(see section 6.).
Services
Look at the services offered by each
plan. What services are limited or not covered? Is there a good match between
what is provided and what you think you will need? For example, if you
have a chronic disease, is there a special program for that illness? Will
the plan provide the medicines and equipment you may need?
Find out what types of care
or services the plan won't pay for. These usually are called exclusions.
Few indemnity and managed care plans
cover treatments that are experimental. Ask how the plan decides what is
or is not experimental. Find out what you can do if you disagree with a
plan's decision on medical care or coverage.
Choice
What doctors, hospitals, and other medical
providers are part of the plan? Are there enough of the kinds of doctors
you want to see? Do you need to choose a primary care doctor? If you want
to see a specialist, can you refer yourself or must your primary care doctor
refer you? Do you need approval from the plan before going into the hospital
or getting specialty care?
Location
Where will you go for care? Are these
places near where you work or live? How does the plan handle care when
you are away from home?
Costs
No health insurance plan will cover
every expense. To get a true idea of what your costs will be under each
plan, you need to look at how much you will pay for your premium and other
costs.
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Are there deductibles you must pay before
the insurance begins to help cover your costs?
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After you have met your deductible,
what part of your costs are paid by the plan?
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Does this amount vary by the type of
service, doctor, or health facility used?
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Are there co-payments you must pay for
certain services, such as doctor visits?
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If you use doctors outside a plan's
network, how much more will you pay to get care?
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If a plan does not cover certain services
or care that you think you will need, how much will you have to pay?
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Are there any limits to how much you
must pay in case of major illness?
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Is there a limit on how much the plan
will pay for your care in a year or over a lifetime? A single hospital
stay for a serious condition could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
You can't know in advance what your
health care needs for the coming year will be. But you can guess what services
you and your family might need. Figure out what the total costs to your
family would be for these services under each plan.
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6. How Do I Find
Out About Quality?
Quality is hard to measure, but more
and more information is becoming available. There are certain things you
can look for and questions you can ask. Whatever kind of plan you are considering,
you can check out individual doctors and hospitals. For doctors, see "Tips
on Choosing a Doctor."
Many managed care plans are regulated
by Federal and State agencies. Indemnity plans are regulated by State insurance
commissions. Your State Department of Health or insurance commission can
tell you about any plan you are interested in.
You can also find out if the
managed care plan you are interested in has been "accredited," meaning
that it meets certain standards of independent organizations. Some States
require accreditation if plans serve special groups, such as people in
Medicaid. Some employers will only contract with plans that are accredited.
Several national organizations
review and accredit plans and institutions (see "Sources
of Additional Information"). You can contact these organizations to
see if a plan you are considering, or an institution in the plan, is accredited.
Another approach is to ask
the plan how it ensures good medical care. Does the plan review the qualifications
of doctors before they are added to the plan? Plans are supposed to review
the care that is given by their doctors and hospitals. How does the plan
review its own services, and has it made changes to correct problems? How
does the plan resolve member complaints?
Some managed care plans survey members
about their health care experiences. Ask the plan for a report of the survey
results.
Some plans and independent organizations
are also beginning to produce "report cards." These reports often include
satisfaction survey results and other information on quality, such as if
a plan provides preventive care (for example, shots for children and Pap
smears for women) or if the plan follows up on test results. Report cards
may also include information on how many members stay in or leave the plan,
how many of the plan's doctors are board certified, or how long you may
have to wait for an appointment.
Report cards can only give you an
idea of how a plan works and may not give a full picture of a plan's quality.
Ask plans if their activities have been reported in report cards developed
by outside groups (business or consumer organizations).
Also keep any eye out for magazine
articles that rate health plans.
Finally, you can talk to current
members of the plan. Ask how they feel about their experiences, such as
waiting times for appointments, the helpfulness of medical staff, the services
offered, and the care received. If there are programs for your particular
condition, how are the patients in it doing?
Tips on Choosing
a Doctor
Your doctor will be your partner in
care, so it is important to choose carefully from the doctors available
to you. In some managed care plans, you will generally be limited to choosing
from only certain doctors; in other plans, some doctors may be "preferred,"
which means they are part of a network and you will pay less if you use
them. Ask your plan for a list or directory of providers. The plan may
also offer other help in choosing.
You can ask doctors you know,
medical societies, friends, family, and coworkers to recommend doctors.
You may also contact hospitals and referral services about doctors in your
area.
Once you have the names of doctors
who interest you, make sure they are accepting new patients. Here's how
to check doctors out:
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Ask plans and medical offices for information
on their doctors' training and
experience.
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Look up basic information about doctors
in the Directory of Medical Specialists,
available at your local library.
This reference has up-to-date professional and biographic information on
about 400,000 practicing physicians.
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Use "AMA Physician Select," which is
the American Medical Association's free service on the Internet for information
about physicians (http://www.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.html).
You may also want to find out:
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Is the doctor board certified? Although
all doctors must be licensed to practice medicine, some also are board
certified. This means the doctor has completed several years of training
in a specialty and passed an exam. Call the American Board of Medical Specialties
at 800-776-2378 for more information.
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Have complaints been registered or disciplinary
actions taken against the doctor? To find out, call your State Medical
Licensing Board. Ask Directory Assistance for the phone number.
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Have complaints been registered with
your State department of insurance? (Not all departments of insurance accept
complaints.) Ask Directory Assistance for the phone number.
Once you have narrowed your search to
a few doctors, you may want to set up "get acquainted" appointments with
them. Ask what charge there might be for these visits, if any. Such appointments
give you a chance to interview the doctors—for example, to find out if
they have much experience with any health conditions you may have.
Part
2.
Choosing
and Using a Health Plan
Using Care
7. How Can I Get
the Most from My Plan?
You will get the best care if you:
Stay Informed
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Read your health insurance policy and
member handbook. Make sure you understand them, especially the information
on benefits, coverage, and limits. Sales materials or plan summaries cannot
give you the full picture.
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See if your plan has a magazine or newsletter.
It can be a good source of information on how the plan works and on important
policies that affect your care.
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Talk to your health benefits officer
at work to learn more about your policy.
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Ask how the plan will notify you of
changes in the network of providers or covered services while you are part
of the plan.
Take Charge
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Ask your doctor about regular screenings
to check your health. Discuss your risk of getting certain conditions.
What lifestyle choices and changes might you need to make to lower your
risks or prevent illness?
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Ask questions and insist on clear answers.
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Ask about the risks and benefits of
tests and treatments. Tell your doctor what you like and dislike about
your choices for care.
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Make sure you understand and can follow
the doctor's instructions. You may want to bring another person along or
take notes to help you remember things.
Keep Track
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Write down your concerns. Start a health
log of symptoms to help you better explain any health problems when you
meet with your doctor.
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Set up health files for family members
at home. This will help you to monitor care. Include health histories of
shots, illnesses, treatments, and hospital visits. Ask for copies of lab
results. Keep a list of your medicines, noting side effects and other problems
(such as other drugs and foods that should not be taken at the same time).
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8.
How Do I Obtain Care?
Learning what you can expect from your
health plan and how it works are key steps to getting the care you need.
Ask these questions:
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When are the offices open? What if I
need care after hours?
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How do I make appointments? How quickly
can I expect to be seen for illness or for routine care?
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If I need lab tests, are they done in
the doctor's office or will I be sent to a laboratory?
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Will most of my appointments be with
the primary care doctor? Will nurse practitioners or physician's assistants
sometimes give care as well?
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Is there an advice hotline? Some plans
have toll-free phone services that help members decide how to handle a
problem that may not require a doctor's visit.
Find out how your plan provides care
outside the service area and what you must do to get care. This is especially
important if you travel often, are away from home for long periods, or
have family members away at school.
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9. What if I Have
to Go to the Hospital?
The time to find out what rules your
plan has on hospital care is before you need it.
Planned Hospitalizations
Unless it is a medical emergency, your
health plan or primary care doctor will probably have to give advance approval
(preadmission certification) for you to go to the hospital. Otherwise,
the cost of your hospital care may not be covered. Ask these questions:
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What hospitals are part of the plan
network?
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Is there a limit on how long I can stay
in the hospital?
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Who decides when I am to be discharged?
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Will needed followup care, such as nursing
home or home health care, be covered by the plan?
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If I have a serious medical problem,
will the plan provide someone to oversee care and make sure my needs are
met?
Ask how your plan handles getting a
second doctor's opinion on whether surgery or another treatment is needed.
Are second opinions encouraged or required? Who pays?
Emergency or Urgent
Care
If you have a true medical emergency,
you should go to the nearest hospital as fast as possible. It is important
for you to know what kind of medical problems are defined as emergencies
and how to arrange for ambulance service, if needed. Most plans must be
told within a certain time after emergency admission to a hospital. If
the hospital is not part of the plan network, you may be transferred to
a network hospital when your condition is stable. Ask these questions:
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How does the plan define "emergency
care?" What conditions or injuries are considered emergencies?
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How does the plan handle "urgent care"
after normal business hours? Urgent care is for problems that are not true
emergencies but still need quick medical attention. Check with your plan
to find out what it considers to be urgent care. Examples may include sore
throats with fever, ear infections, and serious sprains. Call your primary
care doctor or the plan's hotline for advice about what to do. The plan
may also have urgent care centers for members.
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How do I get urgent care or hospital
care if I am out of the area? How must I tell the plan and how soon after
I get the care?
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10. What if I
Am Not Satisified with My Care?
Getting the best care and services means
understanding how your health plan works, what your rights are, and how
to complain if you need to.You have the right to get copies of test results
as well as medical information about yourself. If you are in a managed
care plan, you can ask to change your primary care doctor if you are unhappy
with the relationship. You may also be able to switch plans during open
enrollment.
Most plans have an appeals
process that both you and your doctor may use if you disagree with the
plan's decisions. If your plan refuses to provide or pay for services,
you can complain or file a grievance about any decision you feel is unfair—or
you can appeal it.
You can contact the member services
division of your plan for more information or to complain. Use your plan's
complaint process fully before taking other action.
Be sure to keep written records of:
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All correspondence with the plan.
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Claims forms and copies of bills.
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Phone conversations—the date and time,
the people you speak with, and the nature of each call.
If the plan does not satisfy you, you
may decide to bring the matter to the attention of your employee benefits
manager, your State insurance commissioner, your State department of health,
or the legal system. If you are a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary, you
have additional ways through those programs to file a grievance about the
care received from a plan or provider. For information, contact your State's
medical Peer Review Organization or State Medicaid Program.
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Sources of Additional
Information
Many organizations have information
that can help you understand your health care choices. Some helpful materials
and contacts are listed.
General Information
"Checkup on Health Insurance Choices"
"Questions To Ask Your Doctor Before
You Have Surgery"
Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research
Publications Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 8547
Silver Spring, MD 20907
800-358-9295
"The Consumers Guide to Health
Insurance"
Health Insurance Association of
America
555 13th St. N.W., 600 East
Washington, DC 20004-1109
(202) 824-1600
"Guide to Health Insurance for People
with Medicare"
"Your Medicare Handbook"
"Managed Care Plans"
Health Care Financing Administration
7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
800-638-6833
"Putting Patients First"
National Health Council
1730 M St., NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036-4505
(202) 785-3910
"Managed Care: An AARP Guide"
American Association of Retired
Persons
611 E St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20049
(202) 434-2277
"Choosing Quality: Finding the Health
Plan That's Right for You"
National Committee for Quality Assurance
2000 L St., N.W., Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
800-839-6487
"Consumers' Guide to Health Plans"
Consumers' Checkbook
Center for the Study of Services
733 15th St., N.W., Suite 820
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 347-7283
Accreditation
and Quality
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory
Health Care; 9933 Lawler Ave.; Skokie, IL 60077-3708; (847) 676-9610
Accredits outpatient health care
settings such as ambulatory surgery centers, radiation oncology centers,
and student health centers. Call for a list of accredited organizations.
Community Health Accreditation Program;
350 Hudson St.; New York, NY 10014; 800-669-1656, ext. 242
Accredits community, home health,
and hospice programs; public health departments; and nursing centers. Call
for a list of accredited organizations.
Consumer Coalition for Quality Health
Care; 1275 K Street, N.W.; Suite 602; Washington, DC 20005; (202) 789-3606
A national, nonprofit organization
of consumer groups advocating for consumer protections and quality assurance
programs and policies. Call with general questions about quality issues
or for consumer materials on managed care and activities at the State level.
Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations; One Renaissance Blvd.; Oakbrook Terrace, IL
60181; (630) 792-5000
Evaluates and accredits nearly
20,000 health care organizations and programs including almost 12,000 hospitals
and home care organizations, and more than 7,000 other health care organizations
that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory
care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated
delivery networks, and other managed care entities. Visit Quality Check
on the Joint Commission’s Web site (http://www.jcaho.org) for information
on individual accredited organizations or for general information about
assessing the quality of health care organizations.
National Committee for Quality Assurance;
2000 L St. N.W., Suite 500; Washington, DC 20036; 800-839-6487; Web Site:
http://www.ncqa.org
Accredits HMOs and other managed
care organizations. Call for the NCQA Accreditation Status List, Accreditation
Summary Report, publications list, or for general information about quality.
Utilization Review Accreditation
Commission; 1130 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 450; Washington, DC 20036;
(202) 296-0120
Accredits PPOs and other managed
care networks. Call for a list of accredited organizations.
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Resources
You may freely distribute this eGuide
to your friends and associates as long as you do not change it.
Many more health and nutrition guides
can be found at:
Alternate
Health News
Physician's
Natural Weight Loss Results
Up-To-The-Minute
Health Information & Breakthroughs
The
Cancer Files
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This consumer's guide was developed
by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Rockville, MD, in cooperation with the Health Insurance
Association of America, Washington, DC.
If you take
Vitamins, Read This
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