Tips for communicating with health care providers

Communication is key in building good relationships with your health care providers and getting the best possible care. Here are five tips to help you communicate effectively with your doctors and other providers.

1. Be prepared.
   • Before making an appointment, make sure that doctors you are interested in seeing accept your Health Insurance Health Insurance Health insurance (sometimes called health coverage) pays for some or all of the cost of health services you receive, like doctors’ visits and hospital stays. Programs like Medicare and Medicaid are public health insurance offered through the government. Health insurance can also be administered by private companies that offer individual policies, group health plans, and supplemental insurance. .
   • Think about what you would like to ask the doctor before your visit. You may want to write down your questions and take them with you to your appointment.
   • Make sure to bring all relevant health insurance cards (for example, Medicare Medicare Medicare is the federal government health insurance program that provides health care coverage if you are 65 or older, are under 65 and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 months, begin receiving SSDI due to ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) no matter your age. You can receive health coverage directly through the federal government (see Original Medicare) or through a private company (see Medicare Advantage). , Medicaid Medicaid Medicaid is a federal and state program that provides health coverage for certain people with limited income and assets. , Medigap Medigap A Medigap is a supplemental health insurance policy that is sold by private insurance companies and works only with Original Medicare. Medigaps pay part or all of certain remaining costs after Original Medicare pays first. Depending on where you live and when you became eligible for Medicare, you have up to 10 different Medigap policies to choose from, each with a different set of standardized benefits. , and/or  Medicare Advantage Medicare Advantage Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C, Medicare Private Health Plan, or Medicare Managed Care Plan, allows you to get Medicare coverage from a private health plan that contracts with the federal government. All Medicare Advantage Plans must offer at least the same benefits as Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), but can do so with different rules, costs, and coverage restrictions. Plans typically offer Part D drug coverage as part of Medicare Advantage benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans include Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans, Special Needs Plans (SNPs), and Medicare Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs). cards) and documents to your appointment.
   • Bring a copy of your health history to your appointment, especially if it is your first visit to a particular doctor. Your health history may include a record of the dates and results of past tests, major illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, chronic illnesses, allergies, and a family history of any physical and mental illnesses.
   • Bring a pen and paper to your appointment so you can write down what your doctor tells you. You can also ask your doctor if you can record your conversation.
   • Decide if you want to bring another person, like a Caregiver Caregiver A caregiver is anyone who provides help and support to someone who is either temporarily or permanently unable to function or someone who can function but not optimally. Most caregivers are unpaid, and are often a family member, friend, or neighbor. Formal caregivers are paid care providers or volunteers associated with a service system. , with you to your appointment. It may be useful if you have extensive care needs or are used to someone managing your care.
2. Share information.
   • Tell your doctor about any current symptoms or concerns during your visit. If there are several, consider ranking them in order of how much they are affecting/troubling you.
   • Tell your doctor if you are having trouble with activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing.
   • Tell your doctor about other health care providers (like specialists or therapists) you have seen and any treatments they have prescribed or recommended.
   • Be brave! Health issues can be hard to talk about, but it is important that your doctor has as much relevant information from you as possible so they can recommend the best possible care.
   • If your doctor does not specifically ask for information you think is important, tell them.
3. Ask questions.
   • If you do not understand something your doctor says, ask them to explain it.
   • Ask the same question more than once, or ask if your doctor can explain something in a different way, if you need more time to process an answer. If you need further clarification, consider scheduling a phone conversation or speaking to a nurse or other Provider Provider See Health Care Provider. .
4. Get it in writing.
   • Ask your doctor to write down what you should do between now and your next visit. This may include instructions for how to take medications, specialists you should see, and/or lifestyle modifications.
5. Follow up.
   • If you experience problems after your appointment, or if you have symptoms that get worse, call your doctor’s office to schedule a follow-up appointment. You may also need to make a lab/test appointment or find out how to access your lab/test results.
   • Find out if your doctor uses any form of electronic communication, like email or an online portal. These can help you communicate questions and look up previous appointments and lab/test results without having to call the doctor’s office directly.