Be smart. Be involved.

Transcription

1 Be smart. Be involved. Tips on being a smart patient from UnitedHealthcare and Dr. Oz

2 1 Understanding why What is a smart patient? As a smart patient, you stay involved in your own care. From choosing a doctor to getting advice about prescriptions and treatment options, you make informed choices at every step. Dr. Oz knows the value of making informed decisions. In his book YOU: The Smart Patient, co-written with Michael F. Roizen, M.D., he discusses the importance of choosing a doctor wisely and being a smart patient. Visit BeASmartPatient.com for a complimentary selected chapter. Why is it important to be a smart patient? When you go to the doctor, you expect the best care. But treatments vary. The New England Journal of Medicine reported that patients get care based on quality guidelines only about half the time. About 10 percent receive care that does not meet quality guidelines and might even cause harm. 1 Health care costs also vary. The cost of a knee replacement might be $17,737 or $22,383, depending on where you live. 2 Variation in care is a big factor in cost differences. Quality matters. Poor quality care can mean the wrong diagnosis, complications, or an unnecessary hospital stay. The result is higher cost and care that is less safe for you and your family. 1 The Quality of Health Care Delivered to Adults in the United States, New England Journal of Medicine 348:26 (June 26, 2007). 2 Six-market comparison of orthopedic costs using UnitedHealthcare claims data.

3 2 Staying well Get serious about your health. The best time to think about your health is before you have a problem. Use myuhc.com to find easy-to-use wellness tools that can help you make good lifestyle choices. You can even work with an online wellness coach. Take a personal health assessment. This simple questionnaire on myuhc.com gives you fast, confidential results tailored just for you. Use the information to help improve your health and avoid future problems. Get the facts. Dr. Oz says it s important to insist on treatments that are based on proven facts. Use the myuhc.com library for the latest facts on conditions, diseases, nutrition, health and wellness, and more. Know your numbers. Use the many tools, quizzes, and calculators on myuhc.com to help you keep your health on track. Calculate your body mass index. Find out what your waist size means. Figure out how many calories you ve burned. It s all there. Focus on prevention. Even if you re in the best shape of your life, a serious condition with no signs or symptoms may put your health at risk. Through a preventive exam and other routine health screenings, your doctor can detect the early warning signs of more serious issues to provide early treatment. Track your screenings and vaccinations. An important part of prevention is understanding your starting point. g See your doctor for an annual preventive care visit. g Make sure your immunizations are up to date. g Ask if any additional screening tests are needed, such as a mammography or colonoscopy. Use BeASmartPatient.com to track screenings and immunizations. There, you can learn about different tests and even print your results. Examples of covered preventive services include many types of exams subject to age and gender guidelines, which typically include: Physician office services Routine physical examinations Well baby and well child care Immunizations Lab, X-ray, and health screening tests Screening mammography Screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy Cervical cancer screening Prostate cancer screening Osteoporosis screening

4 3 Choosing care Choose a doctor who is right for you. Choosing the right health care team is one of your most important decisions. When you want to find a doctor, the search tool on myuhc.com is one of your best options. Look for quality and cost. The UnitedHealth Premium program helps you find doctors who meet national standards for quality and local market standards for cost efficiency. The UnitedHealth Premium designation program not only provides consumers with easy access to data in one place, but it also goes further by recognizing physicians and hospitals whose practices are consistent with widely published evidence-based standards to ultimately help them select the right doctor. - Dr. Mehmet Oz Quality Care Doctors who meet the quality criteria receive the quality designation, or one star. + = Cost-Efficient Care Doctors who meet the local criteria for cost efficiency receive a second star. UnitedHealth Premium Two-Star Physicians Physicians who meet both the quality and cost-efficiency criteria receive two stars, which are displayed on myuhc.com and in other provider directories. Visit BeASmartPatient.com to learn more about how UnitedHealth Premium can help you. UnitedHealth Premium designated doctors: May have lower surgery repeat rates Follow evidence-based guidelines for care Are more likely to be aware of the latest research and clinical trials

5 4 Taking charge Make the most out of your doctor visits. When you visit the doctor, be straightforward and give as much information as you can. What to bring to the doctor: Know what to ask. Think about what you want to ask the doctor. Bring that list of questions to your appointment. Use valuable tools and resources. As the gateway for information about your medical benefits and health, myuhc.com helps you take charge and make smart choices about your care. What you can do at myuhc.com: A written health history Your medications or a list of your prescriptions, including the dosage * Know when to get a second opinion. Studies show that getting a second opinion leads to a new diagnosis up to 30 percent of the time. Manage your health Get health and wellness facts Learn with interactive quizzes Find doctors and hospitals Manage your coverage Find out what treatments are covered Estimate treatment costs ahead of time Compare drug costs and find pharmacies A description of your sleep, eating, and exercise habits If it will make you comfortable, a family member or a trusted friend * The personal health record on myuhc.com is a great tool for tracking this information. Visit BeASmartPatient.com to learn more about seeking a second opinion. Set appointment reminders Live chat with a nurse Find advice about women s health. Explore practical tips, information, and support on a wide range of family health and wellness topics at Connect with other women, and interact with experts. You may want to join one of the online groups focused on exercise and nutrition, pregnancy, menopause, or another topic. Track your claims Manage your medical expenses Shop for a hospital. The quality of care you get for different conditions at different hospitals can vary. The hospital with the best ER may not be the right one for a knee replacement. Use the Hospital Comparison Tool on myuhc.com to compare nearby hospitals.

6 5 Knowing more Listen to the experts. Learn expert tips from Dr. Oz. Best-selling author and host of The Dr. Oz Show, Dr. Mehmet Oz, is known for his practical advice on better health. His short videos cover everything from weight loss and nutrition to exercise, relaxation techniques, and tips for living a longer, healthier life. Attend a webinar. From diet and nutrition to skin safety and annual screenings, Source4Women online seminars focus on keeping you healthy. Visit BeASmartPatient.com to learn how to register for upcoming seminars. Visit BeASmartPatient.com

7 Call for help when you need it. Need help? Call the toll-free member phone number on the back of your ID card. Source4Women content and materials are for information purposes only, are not intended to be used for diagnosing problems and/or recommending treatment options, and are not a substitute for your doctor s care. Lists of potential treatment options and/or symptoms may not be all inclusive. myuhc.com is a registered trademark of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated. The UnitedHealth Premium designation program is intended as a resource for informational purposes only. Designations are displayed in UnitedHealthcare online physician directories at myuhc.com. You should always consult myuhc.com for the most current information. Premium designations are a guide to choosing a physician and may be used as one of many factors you consider when choosing the physicians from whom you receive care. If you already have a physician, you may also wish to confer with him or her for advice on selecting other physicians. Physician evaluations have a risk of error and should not be the sole basis for selecting a physician. Please see myuhc.com for detailed program information and methodologies. Only individual physicians and facilities that meet UnitedHealth Premium designation criteria, or physicians in designated specialties who are part of medical groups that meet UnitedHealth Premium criteria for group practices and who have sufficient claims data for analysis, may be designated. All physicians and facilities that contract with UnitedHealthcare have met credentialing requirements. Regardless of designation, plan enrollees have access to all physicians and facilities in the UnitedHealthcare network. Specialties for which there are no quality guidelines currently established in the program are excluded from evaluation and are noted as such. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc., or their affiliates / United HealthCare Services, Inc. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company