Do you feel that you have an active role in your health care decision-making?:
Have you had a conversation with your medical provider about your desire to learn more about your health care options?:
What type of results/experiences have you had in taking an active role in decision-making?:
In 2011, I was meeting with a surgeon to discuss surgical options for varicose veins. Two weeks before I went in for the inpatient procedure, I learned that the surgeon had left the practice. With this change, I took the opportunity to shop around and learned that another surgeon would perform the same procedure in an outpatient setting. The difference in the cost of the inpatient and outpatient procedures was approximately $17,000.
Do you have any tips for others who would like to get more involved in their medical decision-making?:
Shop around. Ask friends. Ask for a couple of referrals. Ask for the pros and cons of the surgical options presented, then ask for the cost.
