If you already have a doctor or are in the process of finding one you can trust, then you may know how hard it is to open up with them about things that you need to communicate. It is important to be able to discuss your health issues, conditions or questions with your physician, but that can prove to be a task for some. If any of this sounds familiar to you or you have found yourself in similar situations, then there are some things that you will need to know with regard to open communication with your physician. One of the worst things that can happen is the embarrassment felt by not being able to adequately describe something to your doctor. If you want to be armed with a great deal of information on how to talk with your doctor, then there are a few tips and tricks you will need to take into consideration. In following this information, you will be able to make the best determination in how to communicate effectively with your doctor. If you wish to talk with your doctor openly and honestly about your medical questions and concerns, you should follow the tips we have listed to ensure a smooth, open process.

Necessary Tips For Communication

The first step in talking things over with your doctor is to make a list of questions and concerns as they occur. Write down anything that pertains to your health or gives you cause for concern. A larger issue that patients face when dealing with talking to their doctors is that they seem to forget various ailments or questions that they have. If you have any medical or health related concerns or questions that you can ask your doctor, you need to have a list handy so that your questions are answered to your satisfaction. Another thing that comes into play is all of the associated factors of your questions and concerns, so it’s best to keep track with an app or by writing these things down.

You should keep good track of any medical matters that you wish for your doctor to address during your office visit. When you go into the doctor’s office for your appointment, if you have everything written down, you aren’t missing out on crucial information that is pertinent to the level of care you receive. Also, always be specific with your questions or concerns so that your doctor has a view of the bigger picture so that a good diagnosis can be made along with treatment options available to you.

It is a problem for doctors when their patients offer vague information that doesn’t paint a good picture of your health concerns. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, then you need to be more open and honest with your doctor about specific questions that you have. If you don’t offer specific details, then you aren’t giving your doctor enough information to go on. Don’t leave out any information that is pertinent to your health, regardless of how embarrassing it might be. Your doctor has heard everything and is there to offer as much help as they can for your situation, so don’t leave anything out. When your doctor knows exactly what you are asking, specifically, then they can make a specific diagnosis and treatment plan for your situation.

There are many ways that you can openly communicate with your doctor. When you communicate every detail with your doctor, you can rest assured that they will provide you with a superb level of care that is unmatched. The key ingredient in a successful doctor/patient relationship is the ability to get on the same wavelength with one another.

Not only should you write down your symptoms, but you should also keep track of the activity you were doing that preceded the symptoms. The role you play in getting the best medical care possible is actively taking charge when it comes to keeping the lines of communication open with your physician. Being a well-organized patient means that you have your ducks in a row when it comes to knowing your body, your symptoms and offering that information freely to your doctor. Only then can your doctor offer a good diagnosis, treatment plan and prescribe medications that are designed to help you.

Only giving your doctor partial information is akin to telling them that your head hurts, but not that your head hurts because you were involved in a car accident. Simply relaying the feeling of pain only tells part of the larger story and neglects providing crucial information to your care. Doctors treat headaches with pain medications, but in this scenario you will need further testing to ensure that there isn’t any internal damage done.

Communicating with your doctor strengthens the partnership that you both share to ensure your overall well being. You will do yourself a disservice by not giving your provider enough information to help you, so keep track of your symptoms and give that information to your doctor at your next visit. If it helps, have a friend or family member accompany you to your doctor’s appointments to offer another viewpoint on matters of medical importance. Your friend or family member may ask questions that you weren’t able to think of or offer details that you have forgotten.

Lastly, when talking with your doctor, make sure that they aren’t using language that you find hard to understand. For clarification, you can always ask the doctor to define specific terminology that you don’t understand. Before you leave your appointment, you want to make sure that the information provided by your doctor makes sense to you and that the treatment options are clear and easily understood. Otherwise, you may walk out of the doctor’s office having no clear understanding of what you need to do to improve your health situation. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself and get a better explanation of what’s going on with your medical treatment. This affects you and there is no better advocate for your health than you.

While there are many things you should take into consideration when making your choice of medical doctor, there are special items of interest for you to think about. Included in these special items are what you want in a doctor, the doctor’s level of education and any outstanding legal action that the doctor is facing.

Once you take all of these things into consideration, you are able to select a doctor of which you can open up and talk to in addition to trusting them with your medical care. Regardless of your health or financial situation, you should contemplate your needs and their services carefully. You should get a feel for whether or not you will be able to trust this person because they will be offering you and your family medical solutions to illnesses and treatment plans. You want to find a trustworthy doctor that can offer you the most help in dealing with illnesses or other medical care, so examine your choices thoroughly.

Choices Of Physicians

When you are trying to select your physician, you must first take into account the characteristics of each particular doctor that will affect you the most. You should ask yourself what do all doctors do that affect their patients the most? In addition to being responsible for offering medical care and advice, you should ask yourself what you want in a medical professional. There isn’t an all encompassing answer for this question, but it is a question you should answer critically so that you make the right decision in the doctor selection process.

When selecting a doctor for your medical care, you should verify his or her credentials. With the increasing amount of laws in the United States regarding physicians, malpractice is all but a thing of the past. Having said that, when dealing with doctors, you always want to check that they have the level of education they claim to have. While it’s hard for doctors to commit malpractice or have illegitimate practices, it is an excellent practice to always verify their credentials before proceeding. In order to check up on your doctor’s credentials, you can do so by looking up their name on your state board’s official website. For an excellent resource, see the list of medical licensing boards on Internet Health Pilot.

In addition to the verification of credentials, you can up front with your proposed physician and ask them whether or not they are involved in any lawsuits now or in the past. Barring that, you can also seek this information out online, so that you can ensure that you and your family aren’t dealing with a doctor who is not party to legal action. People rarely trust doctors who have lawsuits pending against them and as such, you should be sure that this does not present any sort of problem for you and/or your family members. Doctors who are not involved in any legal troubles can provide you solutions to your medical issues that won’t have you second guessing their diagnoses, treatment options or prescribed medications. Doctors involved in lawsuits may leave you asking yourself if their treatment will leave you worse off than before and upset enough to file a lawsuit of your own against them.

The doctor selection process is one that should be taken very seriously. When making a choice in personal or family physician, take all of the factors, good and bad, into account so that you are making the best choice for you and/or your family members. Always keep in mind that despite the choices in doctors of which you’ve been presented, there are always many more doctors out there that are trustworthy and willing to help you with your medical situation. In order to find a great doctor that you will trust with your various medical needs, you should merely look around and compare the various choices that you have readily available.

When going through the selection process, interview your proposed doctor and ask them all a series of important questions with regard to their practice, education, legal action and the length of time they spend with patients during each visit. Many doctors see plenty of patients throughout their days and while their time may be limited, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t a good choice for you and your family.

Lastly, when making the choice for a doctor, the best thing you can do is trust your gut instincts about them as a person. Ask yourself whether or not you feel comfortable enough to ask the doctor questions and see how comfortable they are offering their answers. In the end, selecting a physician is a personal choice, but it is one that should be taken very seriously. Trust is something that you usually build with someone else over the course of time, but you may have less time to make a snap decision on a doctor that is compatible with your likes, dislikes and bedside manner. Consider all of your options carefully and arm yourself with as much information as possible so that you select a great doctor for your medical care.

Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans are Medicare Advantage Plans that can offer additional comprehensive coverage that goes above and beyond Original Medicare. These plans are available for individuals who have both Medicare and Medicaid. 

Many of these plans offer extra benefits, available at no additional cost to those who qualify. Benefits such as care coordination, dental coverage, hearing coverage, vision, transportation to the doctor, over the counter allowances, gym memberships such as Silver Sneakers, and more. The plans add extra healthcare coverage, and other benefits to help increase healthy lifestyles for individuals on Medicare and Medicaid, and lower the chances of sickness and disease. 

Plan benefits vary by state and zip code, but most plans offer benefits such as dental coverage, hearing coverage, vision coverage, prescription drug coverage, over the counter benefits, transportation to and from doctor appointments, gym memberships, telehealth services, care coordination, and much more. These plans can increase your health and wellness without paying anything additional towards your health insurance. 

Who Qualifies For Dual Eligible Plans? 

Individuals of any age who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid are eligible for these special dual eligible plans (also called DSNP Medicare Advantage Plans). Many individuals who are on disability and have been receiving social security disability benefits for two years or more, find themselves eligible for Medicare. If these individuals are also enrolled in Medicaid, or a low income subsidy, they would be eligible for a dual eligible Medicare Advantage plan and would be able to claim their comprehensive benefits for no additional cost.

Choosing the best Medicare Advantage plan for your personal needs may seem overwhelming, but we’re here to help. 

You should ask yourself these questions to see how different coverage options might work for you, and what is important to you when choosing a plan. 

Your health: 

• How often do you go to the doctor?
• What health problems do you have?
• What medications do you take regularly?

Your budget: 

• What are you able to pay each month in premiums?
• How comfortable are you covering copays for services?
• How willing are you to accept the risk of high out-of-pocket costs?

Your wish list: 

• What extra benefits would you enjoy? (Fitness programs, transportation, etc.) 
• How important is it for you to have access to health care while traveling?
• Which doctors, hospitals and pharmacies do you like to go to?

Now, the best way to decide which plan is best for you, is to take this information and speak to a licensed agent. They will use the information you’ve gathered to find a plan that will fit all of your needs and is available in your area. They will most likely present you with a few different options, and together you can choose the best plan for you. 

If you’re new to Medicare it can be confusing to understand what benefits Original Medicare provides, and where you should look for additional coverage if you determine you need more. We have broken down the basics to help you better understand the different Parts of Medicare, and what benefits they provide. 

Original Medicare:

• Part A covers inpatient hospital and skilled care
• Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care 

Optional Additional Coverage: 

• Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) combine Part A and Part B coverage. They often include other benefits that you don’t get with Original Medicare like dental, vision, hearing and prescription drugs. 
• Part D (Medicare prescription drug plans) help pay for medications. You can get a standalone Part D plan, or get a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage. 

In addition to being responsible for offering medical care and advice, you should ask yourself what you want in a medical professional. There isn’t an all encompassing answer for this question, but it is a question you should answer critically so that you make the right decision in the doctor selection process. Do you prefer a doctor of the same gender as you?  Maybe you prefer a doctor that specializes in a certain type of practice. What other qualities would make you the most comfortable in a patient-doctor relationship?

When selecting a doctor for your medical care, you should verify his or her credentials. With the increasing amount of laws in the United States regarding physicians, malpractice is all but a thing of the past. Having said that, when dealing with doctors, you always want to check that they have the level of education they claim to have. While it’s hard for doctors to commit malpractice or have illegitimate practices, it is an excellent practice to always verify their credentials before proceeding. In order to check up on your doctor’s credentials, you can do so by looking up their name on your state board’s official website. For an excellent resource, see the list of medical licensing boards on Internet Health Pilot.

The doctor selection process is one that should be taken very seriously. When making a choice in personal or family physician, take all of the factors, good and bad, into account so that you are making the best choice for you and/or your family members. Always keep in mind that despite the choices in doctors of which you’ve been presented, there are always many more doctors out there that are trustworthy and willing to help you with your medical situation. In order to find a great doctor that you will trust with your various medical needs, you should merely look around and compare the various choices that you have readily available.

When going through the selection process, interview your proposed doctor and ask them all a series of important questions with regard to their practice, education, legal action and the length of time they spend with patients during each visit. Many doctors see plenty of patients throughout their days and while their time may be limited, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t a good choice for you and your family.

Lastly, when making the choice for a doctor, the best thing you can do is trust your gut instincts about them as a person. Ask yourself whether or not you feel comfortable enough to ask the doctor questions and see how comfortable they are offering their answers. In the end, selecting a physician is a personal choice, but it is one that should be taken very seriously. Trust is something that you usually build with someone else over the course of time, but you may have less time to make a snap decision on a doctor that is compatible with your likes, dislikes and bedside manner. Consider all of your options carefully and arm yourself with as much information as possible so that you select a great doctor for your medical care.