What type of coverage do I have for my visit?
The majority of care plans are required by law to provide coverage for preventive health services, and the patient doesn’t have to pay for anything. You can discuss this matter with your healthcare provider and even contact your insurance company to fully understand which services are fully covered by your plan.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a renowned independent panel of medical experts, is known to perform extensive research to understand which preventive measures are important and which could be seen as potentially lifesaving for specific age groups and genders.
Your doctor should be open to explaining why specific types of preventive care measures, like breast cancer screenings and shingles vaccinations, are the best and healthiest choices for you.
Do you understand what I just said?
Like in any other situation, communication is oftentimes a big barrier to getting the appropriate care, but knowing how to talk to your doctor in an effective manner isn’t always intuitive. As fast-moving appointments and medical jargon are needed, it could feel as if doctors and patients aren’t really taking part in the same conversation.
Probably the most important question you should ask your healthcare provider is if he or she fully understood what you explained. In certain situations, patients will explain a symptom, and doctors will come back with a response that doesn’t really fit the patient’s needs. This isn’t meant to be patronizing, but both parties could actually benefit from asking each other, “Am I understood?”
