Using the Healthcare System

Selecting and Working with a Hospital

• Ask your doctor about which hospital is best for your health needs
• Find out if a hospital accepts your insurance and what costs are not covered by insurance
• Check how a hospital compares to others by specific conditions or procedures at hospitalcompare.hhs.gov
• Review a hospital’s performance results at qualitycheck.org
• The American Hospital Association (www.aha.org), in its Patient Care Partnership brochure, lists six treatment basics that you should expect during any hospital stay:
  • High-quality hospital care
  • A clean & safe environment
  • Involvement in your care
  • Protection of your privacy
  • Help when leaving the hospital
  • Help with your billing complaints
• Consider an Advance Directive:
  • Living Will - you tell people how to make medical decisions for you when you can’t make them for your self. 
  • Durable Power of Attorney- you can name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself
• Be sure you understand the instructions you get for follow-up care when you leave the hospital

Selecting a Doctor

Things to keep in mind when selecting a primary care doctor:

• Understand the difference among different types of primary care doctors:
  • General Practitioners provide healthcare for a wide range of medical problems
  • Family Practitioners have extra training on health care
  • Internists treat adults.  Some are specialists such as cardiologists.
  • Pediatricians treat children.
  • Geriatricians have additional training in the care of older adults.
• Board Certification means a doctor has extra training after medical school to become a specialist in a field of medicine (such as internal medicine or geriatrics) 
• Different doctors accept different health insurance.  Make sure to ask if your insurance is accepted.
• Does the office have a convenient location and hours that fit your schedule?
• Are blood work and other tests done at the doctor’s office?
• Is the office staff friendly and helpful?
• Do you feel confident and comfortable with this doctor?