Five Strategies for Taking Control of Your Health

Managing your healthcare needs and those of your family can be daunting. It can require much time, money, and specialized knowledge. It involves making decisions that affect the quality and length of your life and those you love. Begin taking control by learning to be an active, confident participant in your care in the following five areas.

1. Form and identify your healthcare team

The quality of your healthcare providers and the hospitals where they work is the cornerstone of the quality of care you receive. That’s why taking the time before you’re sick or need an emergency procedure is important to find healthcare providers with the training and experience to do the job and a personality that puts you at ease.

2. Find the best health insurance for you and your family

If you don’t understand some of the basic principles of how health insurance works, don’t worry. You’re not alone. It’s not rocket science, but it can seem that way late at night when you’re trying to make sense of a hospital bill.

3. Understand how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affects you and your care

The ACA has brought about significant changes in the healthcare law that have probably affected you and your family in some way. For example, you can no longer be refused coverage because of a preexisting condition such as heart disease.

4. Learn how to gain access to new treatments and technologies

Innovations in technology and cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatment continue to develop rapidly. You may be eligible to try new treatment options that haven’t yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

5. Keep track of your medical records

If you’ve ever had to transfer or get copies of your medical records, you know it can be difficult.