Injury Recovery: 4 Tips to Overcoming Medical Bills

Recovering from a serious injury can be difficult enough without needing to worry about how you are going to pay for your medical bills. Unfortunately, people who become bogged down by these bills will often experience high enough levels of stress and anxiety to interrupt the healing process. Therefore, it is essential for you to utilize proven techniques that will help you minimize your medical expenses so that you can focus on getting better as quickly as possible.There are several ways that a person can utilize to help deal with the medical bills.

 

 

1. Ask for a Settlement 

Most hospitals and physicians will consider offering patients a settlement that will reduce their medical bill by approximately 20 percent if they are informed of a financial difficulty. In other words, one of the easiest ways that you can alleviate stress so that it is easier to heal is by simply contacting the appropriate billing department and being upfront about your inability to pay the full amount that you owe. Once you have completed this call, you will be in a much better financial position, and this will enable you to properly focus on getting better.

 

 

2. Retain Legal Representation 

If your injury is the result of another person or entity’s negligence, you can utilize a local personal injury attorney to help you recover your medical expenses. It is important to note that even injured motorists in a no-fault state such as Florida may still have the right to take legal action against the responsible party. A local lawyer in a no-fault state, such as a Tampa personal injury lawyer in the state of FL, will be equipped to represent the case due to their knowledge of the local and state laws pertinent in the case.

 

Additionally, if you are injured on the job, you may have the right to file a third-party lawsuit. Most no-fault states will allow injured individuals to seek restitution for non-economic damages, including pain-and-suffering, and going through the legal process can definitely make it easier to heal because you will not need to worry about paying your medical bills.

 

 

3. Make a Payment Arrangement 

Medical professionals fully understand that a person who is recovering from a serious injury or illness is not in a good position to make a large payment. Therefore, you can contact the appropriate representative to arrange a payment arrangement that will enable you to take care of your debt after you have had the opportunity to heal.

 

 

4. Launch an Online Fundraiser 

Everyone knows how expensive medical bills are, and your family and friends should definitely understand that you need to place your focus on healing so that you do not end up accruing additional expenses. Due to this, is a good idea to consider launching an online fundraiser to raise money to help you pay for your bills so that you do not need to deal with a high level of stress that will impede the healing process.

 

Ultimately, the best way for you to get better quickly is to remove as much stress as possible from your life and focus on any necessary rehabilitation. Taking a few moments to contact a lawyer or the hospital’s billing department can make the healing process go much more smoothly, so this is definitely something that you should do right away.

 

 

Lisa Coleman shares some tips on how a person can overcome the financial stresses that can accompany an accident. She recently viewed online how Williams Law Association, a Tampa personal injury lawyer firm, can help recover medical expenses in such a case.

 

 

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22265703@N06/5913301999/

Categories: accident recovery, Finances, financial stress, injury recovery, medical bills

Divorce Do"s and Don’ts: How to Take Care of Your Wellbeing

From psychological stress to the development of physically-harmful habits, divorce can wreak havoc on you health. However, an unhealthy marriage is equally damaging, so if you and your spouse do decide to separate, you need to make sure you do it right, and take care of your wellbeing in the process.

 

1. See change as an opportunity: It may be hard to see the bright side to divorce, but one silver lining is that it can be a great opportunity to begin new routines. You now have more time for you, your kids, your friends and your hobbies, as well as the ability to begin a new wellness programme. You could take up running, try yoga in the mornings, eat more healthy foods or even begin praying or meditating. This is a tricky time period, so choose pursuits that can help keep your mind and body healthy through it.

 

2. Tell your loved ones how you feel: You might not want to keep banging on about your problems, but you need to let it all out if you’re ever going to rebuild your emotional health. You don’t have to talk about your feelings with every family member or acquaintance to feel better (after all, some things are too private to post on Facebook). Still, you need to seek out close friends and family members whom you love and trust.

 

3. Seek out community support: While it is important to have the love and support of your family and friends, advice and consolation can be hard to take from people who haven’t been through it themselves. A lot of divorcees appreciate community groups made up of similar individuals, as it gives you a common purpose and reminds you that you’re not alone. Plus, it gives you a safe environment to let off steam to people who don’t know you or your ex. You might like to find a secular support network, but many religious groups also offer meetings for divorcees, so there’s something to suit everyone.

 

4. Be honest with your kids: You’re probably all too aware of how this change will affect your children’s wellbeing; divorce is hard on kids in terms of both short- and long-term wellness. This is why it’s absolutely crucial that you are 100% honest with them during this time, as well as after the transition. The circumstances of your divorce may determine how discrete you should be with regards to explaining the exact reasons you and your former spouse decided to separate. However, although it sounds like a cliche it’s important that you tell your children that the divorce has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with Mum and Dad. You should never neglect to tell your kids that they’re dearly loved and always will be, but this is especially important during this time. Finally, remember to keep your problems between you and your ex, and don’t try to get your kids to take side. Pitting your children against your ex will just damage their relationship with a parent, and cause them to lose respect for you over time.

 

5. Get your finances sorted: Spouses tend to divvy up the responsibilities, especially when it comes to financial wellness. If you don’t personally have a head for money and numbers, it’s time to educate yourself about the basics by looking online and talking to friends who know the score. Then, get your financial life sorted. You may have previously shared expenses with your spouse, and now that is obviously not an option. Taking the time to understand the financial implications of your divorce can be difficult, but it’s always worth the effort.

Categories: Child Wellness, divorce, Finances, Friends, Kids, nbsp, time

5 Ways to Be Your Own Health Care Advocate

Dealing with a serious illness is a stressful situation. Not only are you living with the symptoms of your ailment, you’re also trying to navigate the complexities of the health care system and follow your doctor’s orders.

 

Many patients take a passive approach to their health care, allowing the doctor to control the process by not asking questions and going along with treatments even if they don’t fully understand what’s happening and why. As a result, these patients end up feeling less satisfied with their care — and somewhat helpless in their time of need.

 

You don’t have to feel this way, though. There’s a growing movement among health care providers and patients to develop more collaborative and team-oriented methods of delivering services with the goal of improving patient satisfaction and outcomes. As the patient, you can help by becoming your own health care advocate. By speaking up for yourself and taking back some control of the health care process, you have a better chance of a full recovery and could even save some money.

Ask Questions

The most important part of being your own health care advocate is asking questions. Why is the doctor recommending a particular treatment? Are there any other options? What is the expected outcome? When you have a better understanding of the reasoning behind your doctor’s recommendations, you’re more likely to follow through with the plan and get better as a result.

 

If there is ever a time when you don’t understand something, such as when you are signing consent forms, you must ask questions. Doctors are experts in their fields and often make decisions or recommendations based on their specialized knowledge, forgetting patients may not share that knowledge. Ask for clarification on anything you don’t understand, and additional resources if necessary.

 

Most physicians are happy to answer questions and help their patients understand their treatment plans. If you feel like your doctor isn’t forthcoming with information, or dismisses your concerns, it may be time to find a different doctor who is more responsive to your concerns.

Be Prepared

One of the most common complaints among doctors are what they call the “doorknob complaints:” A patient comes in for a particular ailment, and when the doctor is on his way out the door after the visit, the patient reveals another issue he needs help with.

 

Not only does this cost your physician valuable time, it also prevents you from getting the best possible care as your doctor may be rushed or unprepared. To ensure the best care, come to your appointments prepared and ready to discuss all of your issues. You should also be prepared with lists of your medications, allergies and other factors that could impact your care plan.

Take Notes

When you’re sick or hurt, remembering everything your doctor says may be a challenge. Even at a routine check-up, things may move too quickly for you to retain everything you hear. And if you are in the hospital, you will probably deal with multiple providers, all of whom will give you new information. Take notes during your visits with doctors or bring someone else along to do it for you. That way, if you have questions later, you can refer to your notes or remind your provider of something that was said earlier.

Follow Up

Sometimes, advocating for yourself requires being persistent in your efforts to get answers. If you don’t get the information or resolution you’re looking for immediately, keep asking and escalate the situation if necessary. Your health is too important to leave to chance, so don’t let important issues go without appropriate resolution.

Know Your Finances

Health care is expensive. Even if you have insurance, co-payments and deductibles can take money out of your pocket, so it’s important to stay on top of your bills and know exactly what you are paying for. Ask about alternatives to expensive tests or medications (or use a card like that offered by Afford RX to cut your costs) and carefully examine every bill. Medical billers are human, and a simple typo could result in a significant increase in your bill. And don’t be afraid to ask about the cost before receiving treatment. Having an idea of the cost will help you make better-informed decisions.

 

Being your own health care advocate does not mean arguing with your doctor at every turn or questioning his or her every recommendation. It means taking back some of the control of your health care, and acting in your best interests and collaborating with your provider for the best possible outcomes. You owe it to yourself to speak up.

 

 

About the Author: A former patient advocate at a large hospital, Mary Connors worked with hundreds of patients to help them speak up and advocate for themselves. She now blogs about health care issues.

Categories: Advocate, care, care advocate, doctor, Finances, health, health care, nbsp

Money Worries:How to Stop Your Finances Harming Your Health

Whether you lose your job or your savings take a hit, money worries can really give your emotional wellbeing a knock. You can feel shock, anger, guilt and a sense of powerlessness at your situation, as well as the stress of trying to solve the problem. This can affect your mental health with anxiety and depression, so now it’s more important than ever to take care of yourself and your family.

 

Financial wellness can be affected by many life events, including unemployment, redundancy or retrenchment, redeployment, losing your job, losing a large investment, or losing your retirement income. At first, tackling the problem can be difficult as you’re still in a state of shock or disbelief at what has happened – you can’t fix something until you realise it exists! You can also be too anxious or worried about the future to form a solid plan, as well as a deep sense of loss for the future plans you had already made, which may not now be possible. Plus, the anger you feel at your situation or members of your family, and the embarrassment you feel at getting yourself into this mess, can cause you to become isolated from others.

 

When you put these emotions together, it doesn’t make a good recipe for getting back on your feet. Most people find that these feelings fade a little with time, and so they are able to move forward. However, if your distress and anxiety lasts for longer than a few weeks, you may be at risk of mental health problems, such as depression. Ask yourself the following questions, and if you answer yes to any of them, you may need to seek a doctor or other health professional:

 

1. Do you find it hard to do your normal everyday activities, such as going for a walk, preparing meals or talking to your friends and family?

 

2. Are you using alcohol or drugs to help you cope or feel better?

 

3. Is it difficult for you to relax and sleep?

 

4. Have you been acting more angry, irritable or intolerant around other people than usual?

 

5. Have you been feeling overwhelmed, not able to cope and thinking about suicide?

 

Aside from seeking help from a professional, there are things you can do to stay on top of your emotions during this difficult financial time. Firstly, write down every worry you have. It’s not helpful to have all these anxious thoughts floating around in your head on a loop, but writing them down will help you to take some control of the situations. Once you’ve identified your concerns, list them in order of importance so you know which ones to tackle first. Next, arm yourself with information and advice, be it from organisations or the internet. It might help to talk to someone who understands financial issues such as budgeting, saving, investing and managing debts, as they can explain things clearly and help you to get your head around things.

 

Aside from this, you need support from your friends and family members. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in this, and getting your loved ones involved will help as they can share the burden, and help you to remain positive. You should speak to your doctor about your lifestyle, as this can really affect your mood. Ask about stress-management techniques, maintaining a balanced diet and exercise programme, and ways to eliminate or avoid smoking, drugs and alcohol.  Finally, you need to be patient and positive. It takes time to recover from a major loss like this, so think about times in the past where you’ve overcome obstacles, and apply this to your current situation.

Categories: Education, Family, family nbsp, feel, Finances, financial, health, Medical Help, Mental Health, Money Worries, nbsp, Support

Is the Financial Crisis Causing You to Gain Weight?

If you’re worried about your financial wellness, you may also be putting other aspects of your wellbeing at stake. This is according to new research from Weight Watchers, which found that money worries are making us overweight because we are comfort eating when money is tight.

According to the study, 75% of Brits are ignoring a balanced diet in favour of unhealthy treats that lift their spirits. This means that, as a direct consequence of their financial situation, 18.3m Brits have experienced weight gain. However, it’s not just a growing appetite for comfort food that’s swept the nation, but the results of the study also revealed that, contrary to what Jessie J might sing, it’s all about the price tag. These unhealthy foods are as cheap as, well, chips, which is prompting people to indulge. When it comes to food purchases, the research showed that eight out of ten cash-strapped Brits priorities cheap over healthy options.

This research follows another recent study from the Mental Health Foundation, which demonstrated that more than half of British adults find their life more stressful than they did five years ago. More than 25% of respondents cited money as a cause of this enhanced stress, and the mental health problems don’t stop there. You are ten times more likely to suffer from depression now than people in 1945, which is clearly demonstrated by the fact that anti-depressant use is on the rise.

However, research by the University College of London has suggested that comfort eating doesn’t actually help, but in fact eating a diet high in processed food can in fact increase your risk of depression. The study showed that people who eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually have a lower risk of depression. Zoe Hellman, Head of Public Health at Weight Watchers, adds, ‘It is alarming that such a high percentage of Brits are turning to comfort eating when money is tight as weight gain soon becomes another issue to add to their anxiety levels.  Eating cheap, calorie laden food can lead to much bigger problems in the long term, such as the serious health risks associated with being overweight or obese.’

Is the Financial Crisis Causing You to Gain Weight?

Categories: comfort, comfort eating, Comfort Food, eating, Finances, Mental Health, money, Research, weight, weight gain, weight watchers