Informed Consent
Informed consent is the process in which a health care provider educates a patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a given procedure or intervention. The patient must be competent to make a voluntary...
Basic (Standard)
The Problem with Medicare Advantage
Medicare’s Private Option Is Gaining Popularity, and Critics. As more Americans sign up for Medicare Advantage, detractors worry that it’s helping private insurers more than patients. When Ed Stein signed up for Medicare eight years...
FDA Drug Recalls
A drug recall is the most effective way to protect the public from a defective or potentially harmful product. A recall is a voluntary action taken by a company at any time to remove a...
How to Pay In-Network Rates for Out-Of-Network Care
Want to get care from an out-of-network doctor, clinic, or hospital? You might pay a lot more than you would if you stayed in-network. In fact, with HMOs and EPOs, your health insurance might not...
How to Find, Interview, and Choose a Patient Advocate
A true patient advocate is difficult to find. Finding one who has the experience and skills you need will be even harder. Volunteers can be wonderful, and the price may be right, but they often...
State Medical Boards and Health Department Websites
CONTACT A STATE MEDICAL BOARD CONTACT A STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Looking for the website of a state or territorial health department? The resources below link to health departments in all...
State Medical Records Laws
Medical records privacy laws outline patients’ rights to secrecy of their medical information, and the circumstances under which that information may (or must) be disclosed. Choose a link from the list below for state-specific laws...
There’s A Strong Chance You Are Paying For Expensive Medical Billing Mistakes
“There’s a reason you can’t understand your hospital bill. Nobody wants you to.” By Ann Brenoff, Huffpost, 05/17/2017 | Updated May 17, 2017. Medical bills are the gift that keeps on giving. Having lost my husband in...
Are You Being Admitted into a Hospital? Do This to Protect Yourself.
This inexpensive action lowers hospital infections and protects against flu season. Harvard Medical School graduate and lecturer, Stephanie Taylor, is something of an Indiana Jones of medicine. She’s a determined scientist who can’t seem to...
Medical Forms for Patients
APRA offers these free medical forms for patients including: Medical History Checklist, Pocket Travel Medical Info, Family Medical History, Medical History Chart and Medical History with Medications List for patients to download. Medical History Checklist...