In the appointment
Write your questions down beforehand, ask whether you may record the conversation, and do not leave until you have the answers.
- You ask what the condition is called and how it is spelled.
- You ask what else it could be, and what would rule each possibility in or out.
- You ask what the next test or treatment is, when it will happen and when you will hear the results.
- You ask what happens if you wait, and which symptoms mean you should call at once or go to an emergency room.
- You ask whom to contact with questions, and how.
Federal law gives you the right to copies of your own records and images. A second opinion is routine for any serious diagnosis or surgery. Good doctors expect it, and many insurance plans cover it.
The money side
Learn two numbers from your insurance plan: the deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum, which is the most you can be charged for covered in-network care in a plan year. Before each scheduled test or procedure, confirm that the facility and the doctors are in network, and ask whether the insurer requires prior authorization. When the bills come, request an itemized statement and compare it with the insurer's explanation of benefits before paying, since billing errors are common. Nonprofit hospitals are required to have financial assistance policies, and most hospitals offer payment plans without interest. Do not put a medical bill on a credit card before you have asked about both.
Work and privacy
You are not obliged to give your employer a diagnosis. For leave, a clinician certifies that you need it without describing everything. If you qualify, the Family and Medical Leave Act protects your job for up to twelve unpaid weeks, and short-term disability insurance, where you have it, replaces part of your pay.
Living with the wait
Waiting for results is often the hardest stretch. Limit your reading to major medical centers and government health sites, and stop searching after dinner. Tell a few people, so that you are not performing normality all day. An all-clear does not always end the worry, and lingering health anxiety is common and treatable. Keep every follow-up appointment even when you feel fine, because follow-up is how a scare remains only a scare.
Tip Complete a health care proxy form now, naming the person who would speak for you. Your state's form is free and usually needs only witnesses or a notary.
