Your Best Health Care Now
Get Doctor Discounts, Save With Better Health Insurance, Find Affordable Prescriptions
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.