Your Best Health Care Now: Get Doctor Discounts, Save With Better Health Insurance, Find Affordable Prescriptions

by Frank Lalli

Overview

Inspired by his viral New York Times article, prize-winning investigative journalist Frank Lalli details how he mastered the ins and outs of health care—and how you, too, can get the best care for your money.

Frank Lalli, the former editor of Money and George magazines, has devoted his career to getting to the bottom of a good story. When he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a rare but potentially deadly blood cancer, he put his reporter’s instincts to work and got the wonder drug he needed at an affordable price—thousands of dollars less than he was told he would have to spend. Amazed by the complex and arbitrary nature of the health care system, he decided to share what he has learned as his own Health Care Detective so that others can find their best care and save money, too.

Based on three years of research and more than 300 first-hand interviews with experts, Your Best Health Care Now is your easy-to-follow, real-world guide to making today’s health system work for you. You’ll learn all the smart moves and timely tips to get better care and save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars—no matter what your concerns may be. Whether you’re trying to book a free check-up or negotiate with a surgeon, looking for an effective generic drug or the best price for a brand-name, or worrying about high insurance deductibles and rising premiums or a stack of surprise bills, Your Best Health Care Now has the answers you need to take charge of your wellbeing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501132902
Publisher:	Atria Books
Publication date:	09/20/2016
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Frank Lalli has chronicled his experience with the health care system in the New York Times op-ed piece “A Health Insurance Detective Story.” He has since become The Health Care Detective™ in a variety of publications and media outlets, including regular commentary on news and health for National Public Radio’s Robin Hood Radio. Throughout his thirty-plus years of experience in editorial and journalism, he has worked as an investigative reporter for Forbes, served as editor of Money and George magazines, appeared as a specialist on Today, Good Morning America, and Nightline, and is currently the special health correspondent for Parade. Lalli was named one of the top 100 business journalists of the twentieth century by TJFR, and has won the three most prestigious prizes for excellence in financial journalism: The John Hancock, the University of Missouri, and the Gerald Loeb awards.

Table of Contents

1 How to Use This Book: How I Became a Health Care Detective, and How You Can, Too 1

2 Get the Health Care You Deserve: A Guideline for Patients 11

3 America's Health Care Is Actually Better Than Ever: What You Need to Know About the Affordable Care Act 29

4 Ten Essential Health Care Benefits You Are Entitled to Get: What You Are Guaranteed-and What to Watch Out For 39

5 The Smart Way to Shop for Health Insurance: Pinpointing the True Cost-and Value-of Any Plan 55

6 How to Keep the Doctor and Hospital You Like: And Navigating Other Open Enrollment Challenges 69

7 Watch Out for Big Medicare Surprises: Ten Mistakes Everyone Over Sixty-Five Should Avoid 83

8 Confounding Billing Codes and Other Bizarre Obstacles: Why Understanding Medical Codes Is Key to Figuring Out Costs 103

9 Pink Confusion: When Should Women Get Screened for Breast Cancer? 115

10 Don't Let Dental Insurance Bite You: How to Be Your Own Best Advocate in the Dentist's Chair 134

11 The Pluses and Minuses of Health Savings Accounts: What You Save-and Might End Up Paying-with an HSA 141

12 The Smart Way to Book a Doctor Visit: And Get a Discount, Too 147

13 Don't Cough in the Doctor's Office Unless You Really Mean It!: Tips to Avoid Sneaky Fees 156

14 Stop Paying Twice as Much for Your Drugs: Why Prescription Drugs Are So Pricey 172

15 Seventeen Ways to Save Money on Drugs: Easy Ways to Work with Your Doctor, Your Insurer, Your Pharmacy, and Others to Get the Best Prices 197

16 The Wonder Drug Racket: Secrets to Getting a Costly Specialty Drug at a Price That Won't Bust You 211

17 What to Do When the Doctor Suggests a Costly Procedure: Don't Get Blindsided by a Budget-Bashing Bill 218

18 If You Go to the Hospital, Don't Pay the Bill: Nine Ways to Save Money at the Hospital 228

19 If You Get Bad Medical News: Follow This Positive Action Plan 239

20 Rules for Life: The Three Keys to Becoming a Health Care Detective and Getting Your Best Care-Now 279

The Health Care Detective Glossary in Plain English 291

Easy-to-Find Resources 311

Acknowledgments 317

Index 323

Editorial Reviews

08/15/2016
Journalist Lalli was diagnosed in 2008 with multiple myeloma. His medication cost $571 daily and his insurance was inadequate, but as related in his New York Times op-ed “A Health Insurance Detective Story,” his research skills enabled him to get the drug for $2 a day. In this practical guide, organized into 20 chapters, Lalli reveals “who to ask, what to ask, and what to do” while navigating the endlessly confounding U.S. health-care maze. Excellent explanations of the Affordable Care Act appear in Chapters 3 and 4, while Chapter 7 warns of 10 common Medicare mistakes. Shopping for health insurance is addressed in Chapter 5, and there is priceless insider information on a range of specific topics, including billing codes, health-care savings accounts, dental coverage, and beating “sneaky” unexpected fees. Everything is negotiable, Lalli notes repeatedly, so patients are always wise to ask for a lower price, request a cash discount, and access free preventive services. Appendixes feature a glossary of necessary and helpful health-care terms and a resources list. With facts and advisories from patients’ rights organizations and think tanks, plus the author’s personal experience and clear directions, this handbook is a must-have for everyone needing health care. Agent: Nat Sobel, Sobel Weber. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Like many Americans,I have gone through a long family medical crisis. I only wish that there had been a Health Care Detective at my side in those terrible years. Keep this book at your side."

Richard Reeves

Frank Lalli is a world-class journalist who used his own cancer diagnosis to explore what the rest of us need to know about the best way to navigate the complex health-care system. His advice has been invaluable to me and I am confident it will become that for so many others.”

Tom Brokaw

Prize-winning journalist Frank Lalli uses his journey with bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma, coupled with the experiences of many other patients, to create a treasured resource to get cutting-edge care at affordable prices. He both identifies obstacles and then provides real world examples of how to overcome them. He provides critical lessons not only for patients and their families, but also for caregivers and health care administrators, as we together assure that patients can benefit from today’s most exciting treatment advances.

Dr. Kenneth Anderson

Frank Lalli has written a ‘GPS’ to help patients navigate the twists, turns, and surprises of healthcare, including insurance benefits. For example, don’t miss the chapters on managing the cost of prescription drugs.

Dr. Richard Levine

Frank Lalli, one of America's best business journalists, has produced the single most indispensable guide to helping people get the best health care possible at the best price As someone who quakes at the thought of confronting distant bureaucracies, I found this eminently readable book – jammed with specific case studies, phone numbers and web sites – hugely comforting. You need this book.

Jeff Greenfield

This highly accessible and well-organized guide to getting through the maze known as our health care system is chock-full of useful clues for getting the care that you and your family need – and deserve!

Jill Goodman

Like many Americans, I have gone through a long family medical crisis. I only wish that there had been a Health Care Detective at my side in those terrible years. Keep this book at your side." ---Richard Reeves, Senior Lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California

From the Publisher