With being diagnosed with MS, comes a lot of new doctors, nurses, office managers, insurance agents, drug companies, and so forth. You are going to have contacts you did not even know you needed until now. They are now all part of your Health Care Team! They are all a vital part of your health care needs and important resources to have.
Here is some advice to organize your new team information and resources.
- Get yourself a binder, and get the biggest one you can because you are going to need it. Purchase dividers and folders for it to be organized. If you do not want to use a binder, file folders in a filing cabinet work just as well. As long as you keep them organized too.
- In the beginning of your binder or folders, write down all your contact information for your new Health Care Team. Write down all your doctors name’s, addresses, phone numbers, emails, contact person, and emergency number to call. Write down all your insurance information, including the number, insurance phone number, group number, and id number. They will always ask you for this information. Write down your drug company’s phone number, id number, and name of all medications from them. Also, their hours of operation so you know ahead of time when to call.
- Keep all EOB ( explanation of benefits) from your insurance company on file so you have a reference to them.
- Keep all bills together in groups of where they are paid to. Also, when paying the bill, if paying by check, write down the date you wrote the check, the check number, and how much you paid for future reference if needed. Ifpaid online, write down the date in which you make the online payment and the amount. This all will help in the event of a missing payment or uncertain statement charge.
- Keep all contact information for your other Health Care Team contacts like massage therapists, physical therapists, counselors, and so forth. Having all the right information at the tip of your fingers is crucial to your health. And less stress!
- Bring a notebook to every appointment. Have questions or concerns written down before each appointment so you do not forget to ask. Also, write down the information the doctors share with you so you can refer back to it when you get home. Doctor appointments can be overwhelming at times and a lot of information is thrown at you all at once. So be prepared, take notes, and you will be fine.
- Tell a family member, loved one, roommate, whoever is around you the most, where this Health Care Team information is located. Just in case in the event you cannot get to it, they know where to go to help you out right away.
So there you have it. Welcome to this new team that will only benefit you in the long run and who wants you to be the healthiest you can be. It will take some time and work to get all organized, but make sure you do this step for yourself and your health!
