HR Morning shares tips from The Healthcare Survival Guide

HR Morning shares with its readers tips from The Healthcare Survival Guide March 30. Some of the pointers shared include asking a doctor for a discount and shopping around for procedures. HR Morning’s Christian Schappel says the book contains, for human resources staff, “advice worth passing on to your employees.”

To read the article, click here:  http://www.hrmorning.com/healthcare-costs-4-money-savers-hiding-in-plain-sight/

Discover Health Advocacy: Real people, real stories, real results

We built our company, Health Advocate, Inc., to help people navigate the complex healthcare system and to provide them answers when they need them the most. Here is an example of how we have helped a member with a healthcare solution.

Problem: Coverage denial for an experimental treatment

Jane was diagnosed with pheochromocytoma in 2004, a rare tumor of the adrenal gland that causes excessive release of epinephrine and norepinephrine – hormones that regulate heart rate and blood pressure. In 2005, Jane was treated with MIBG with success. Unfortunately, the cancer returned and spread to Jane’s other organs. This time, the second MIGB treatment was delayed because Jane’s insurance company determined that the drug used to pre-treat her cancer was experimental and, therefore, not covered. To complicate matters, the hospital’s attempts to get approval for the procedure from the insurance company were delayed until the insurance company received the required information to proceed with the review. The hospital sent the requested information but the review did not proceed. Time was running out for Jane and treatment became a life or death situation.

Solution:

Health Advocate coordinated a conference call between the hospital and her insurance company and suggested that the hospital renegotiate their contract with the insurance provider for this particular treatment to prevent future issues. The insurance company finally approved the treatment for Jane and now covers the service for future treatments.

FOX 61 in Connecticut interviews coauthor Martin Rosen

FOX 61 in Connecticut welcomed Healthcare Survival Guide coauthor Martin Rosen to its “Money Matters” program March 24. Host Logan Brynes asks Rosen to share with his audience some of the book’s cost-cutting tips, including signing up for COBRA coverage, ordering prescriptions by mail, and negotiating prices with your doctor.

“Some pretty good tips on how to save on prescription drugs and dental coverage as well,” Brynes says of the book. To watch the interview, click here: http://www.ctnow.com/news/morningnews/money-matters/

Examiner.com interviews coauthor Martin Rosen

Examiner.com speaks with Healthcare Survival Guide coauthor Martin Rosen March 22. Blogger Mary Schwager asks Rosen to share with her readers some of the book’s cost-cutting tips, including asking your doctor for a discount and switching to generic medications.

To read the interview, click here: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-1893-News-You-Can-Use-Examiner~y2010m3d22-Health-Care-What-to-do-if-you-lose-your-health-insurance

ABC 15 in Phoenix interviews coauthor Martin Rosen

ABC 15 in Phoenix interviews Healthcare Survival Guide coauthor Martin Rosen March 18. Sondaran Living anchor Stephanie Sandoval asks Rosen to share with her viewers some of the book’s cost-saving tips.

To watch the interview, click here: http://www.abc15.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=27778@knxv.dayport.com&navCatId=27

Watch coauthor Abbie Leibowitz, M.D. on WGN Chicago

WGN Midday News in Chicago welcomed Healthcare Survival Guide coauthor Abbie Leibowitz, M.D. March 18. Anchor Steve Sanders asked Leibowitz to share with the WGN audience some of the book’s cost-cutting tips.

Video of the interview is now available. To watch the segment, click here: http://www.healthadvocate.com/tv.aspx?v=wgn-chicago

Watch coauthor Martin Rosen on 6 ABC Philadelphia

6 ABC Philadelphia airs a story on saving money on medical bills March 15. In the story, consumer reporter Nydia Han asks Rosen for some of The Healthcare Survival Guide’s cost-saving tips.

To watch the segment, click here: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7330898

Listen to coauthor Martin Rosen’s interview with 760 AM Denver

Radio host David Sirota of KKZN 760 AM in Denver interviewed Healthcare Survival Guide coauthor Martin Rosen March 10. They discussed some of the book’s tips on saving money on healthcare.

Audio of the interview is now available. To listen, click here: http://www.healthadvocate.com/radio.aspx?v=denver

Bankrate.com cites tips from The Healthcare Survival Guide

Bankrate.com shares with its readers some of The Healthcare Survival Guide’s cost-saving tips March 11. In the article “4 tips for healthcare savings,” writer Paul Bomberg highlights some of the book’s nuggets, including shopping around for prescription drugs and staying in-network when receiving hospital care.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/4-tips-for-health-care-savings.aspx

AOL ParentDish solicits advice from coauthor Martin Rosen

AOL ParentDish quotes Healthcare Survival Guide coauthor Martin Rosen March 4. In an article on pre-paying hospitals for childbirth services, Rosen advises expectant parents to do their homework before going into labor. He suggests checking to make sure the hospital–and anesthesiologists– are included in your health plan’s network, and, if necessary, negotiating a price with the hospital ahead of time. “Across the board, the people need to prepare themselves, they need to educate themselves,” Rosen says.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.parentdish.com/2010/03/04/oh-baby-more-hospitals-asking-for-payment-before-childbirth/