A New Year: New health goals and new health plans

The New Year is a time to start fresh in the desired areas of our lives. Often times it involves diet and exercise, eating better and exercising more. We might resolve to be a better spouse, parent, friend or professional.  When life moves at such a fast pace it is hard to keep focused and our goals and see them through. It takes setting goals and keeping those goals a top priority.

  

Having just returned from a week off, and  feeling excited about the new year and my resolutions, I began to listen to messages and open my mail, As I caught up on all the challenges of private practice, I noticed  theme. Our personal health goals often don’t fit with our health plans through our insurance company.  

No matter how committed we are to health and recovery, our health insurance defines the limits of our coverage and consequently the means for our recovery. As consumers we have to be prepared to advocate for ourselves. The first step is to know your health plan. Gone are the days where we can assume that our care will be covered without limits. In the world of rehabilitation, rarely do we get to see a person through to complete recovery. My job as a therapist is to assess and address problems, teach a home management program and encourage our patients to follow through on their own. Of course there are long term consequences to this strategy. My experience suggests that human nature makes it difficult to follow-through on home programs on our own. It is often difficult to self motivate. Most of us benefit from that external push.  

Here are a few survival tips.

1.              Know your insurance coverage and benefits

2.              Follow through on your home program so when therapy comes to an end you won’t feel so lost.  

3.              Acknowledge the obstacles toward your health goals and find ways to overcome them. Be honest and seek support from a professional or a trusted friend.

4.              Develop an action plan and be specific. (See our upcoming blog)

5.              When you are feeling powerless, perform an activity that puts you back into control. As long as it’s a healthy activity, pursue it.

6.              Remember health exists on a continuum; the primary aspects of health include physical, emotional, social, and environmental health. Within each category there are important subcategories.

7.               Choose a health plan that offers you the most flexibility for the price. If it is a limited policy, put some money aside, like in a Health Savings Account, so you can buy the services the insurance won’t cover.  

8.              Keep good health records so you can advocate for yourself effectively.  

9.              Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or therapists questions. This will empower you and improve your quality of care.  

If you have other suggestions for empowered personal healthcare management, please respond to this blog. Let’s all learn from one another.  

Michele Rifkin, MSHed, OTR/L