Top Tips To Navigate The Health Care System

My first wake up call came days after I told my Dad I would help him take care of my Mom. He was suffering from Caregiver Burnout and his heart issues needed to be addressed. We were in Florida at my sister’s for the holidays and he had been diagnosed by a doctor there as having walking pneumonia and cardiac irregularities. While he was resting and healing I wanted to get a handle on his immediate health care issues first, with the hope of then addressing my Mom’s early dementia symptoms.

I decided to call his primary doctor to alert him about my Dad’s condition and talk about my Mom. I wanted him to have the latest test results. It was then that I got my first taste of the hell that doctors’ offices and the health care system can be. I should have known from that first attempt that this doctor would be the death (literally) of my Dad.

Aside from being on hold forever, the fax machine not working, the abrupt attitude of the various nurses who came on, and the unavailability of the doctor, I felt as though they didn’t know who my Dad and Mom were. Since they had been going to this doctor for decades (helping to keep his practice in business, thank you) I was first surprised then frustrated, then angry.

I remember that day so clearly and thinking how incompetent and annoying it was and I would fix it when we got home. Little did I know then that this scenario is not that uncommon. I would be on hold many times with many offices before it was all over.
Navigating the health care system can be yet another battlefield we face as Caregiver Warriors. We need to arm ourselves with as much strategy as we can. Here are a few saving graces I used to help me deal with hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies.

1. Organized paperwork.
One of my biggest weapons was having my parent’s paperwork current and in an organized file that was easy to access. I always had an up to date list of medications with dosage and schedules on my phone, then backed it up with printouts I could hand anyone including ER staff. I also included recent and previous blood work reports and a list of all doctors, surgeries, and conditions. With smartphones, this is so much easier to carry around, however, make sure to check the report someone types up from your notes or conversations. Information can be lost or misunderstood in translation.
Because I had such good records, I actually was able to win an argument with a cardiologist who claimed he didn’t take my Dad off medication by having in my possession the actual note the doctor made to stop the medication! Having recent invoices and statements organized before a call to the health care provider is also a must.

2. Develop amazing social skills.
I know this is the last thing you want to be concerned about but how you approach people and deal with them makes an extraordinary difference in what you get and how you get it. My rule of thumb is to go into any encounter with anyone assuming it’s going to be a great one, really read the room and assess the mood of the person I’m dealing with, then give them every consideration possible. I usually start with a smile whether in person or over the phone. So many people working in the healthcare industry are stressed and when someone takes the time to be patient and nice it makes a big difference. Treat people the way you want to be treated.

3. Be patient and calm.
Remember that you are the voice of those your love. You are working to get what you and they both need. Although we all know it’s not easy to manage the healthcare issues of those we love, what we often do is get our knickers in such a twist that we make it harder on ourselves. Giving in to the frustration and sense of being overwhelmed serves no one. It’s hard to do, but surrendering to the fact that dealing with the healthcare industry is tricky but doable is helpful. Being patient and calm with everyone including ourselves gives us so much more energy and allows us to be persistent, longer. Having said that, it’s also important to know when you need to take a break and let it go and let the universe catch up to all your efforts.

4. Take it one step at a time
Finally, don’t try to do it all at once. Take it one step at a time. Prioritize. I know this is especially hard when you are in crisis mode and are scrambling to get hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies all on the same page immediately. Even then you can do the first things first to the best of your ability and then trust that the rest will be taken care of appropriately. It can’t all get done right away. Do the best you can and know that’s enough.
I had lots of success with my parents’ medical and insurance issues and also had times I felt like I failed miserably. The truth is it did get easier as I got more used to the system and better at knowing when I had someone who was on my side and would help me and when I needed to hang up, walk away, start over or take a break. I wish you all the best with your attempts. You got this!