Source: https://www.maxpixel.net/Young-Upset-Angry-Person-Mad-Irate-Annoyed-Woman-3126442

Dr. Google You’re Fired! – 3 Effective Ways to Reduce Illness Anxiety!

Paging Dr. Google!

When you’re feeling unwell, it’s tempting to turn to Dr. Google. He’s accessible, there’s no copay or wait time, and he offers instant appointments! Having a lot of anxiety about being sick is natural, we even have a name for it – illness anxiety. Unfortunately, he usually arrives with bad news… That cough you’ve had for the last two days… Dr. Google says it must be lung cancer. The diarrhea that won’t seem to go away… oh that’s definitely colon cancer. And what does Dr. Google say about that sore toe? Oh, that’s probably lung cancer too. Of course, I’m being facetious here. 

But there are ways to properly use Google to take charge of your health and make the most out of your visits to the doctor. Let’s talk about some strategies and pitfalls of using Dr. Google and why it’s always important to get a second opinion from a real-life health care professional!

Steps to Combat Illness Anxiety

Don’t Do This: Google your symptoms! I know this is a tall order, but googling symptoms is just going to make that illness anxiety go through the roof! Type in cough, chest tightness, and weight loss and you’ll arrive on a search page full of lung cancer results.

Do This Instead: Make an appointment with your doctor and if you’re really worried, keep a journal about your symptoms. Each day keep track of changes, is your cough getting worse or better? How much weight are you losing each day? Are you feeling too sick to eat each day? Have you been in contact with any sick people lately? Does anything make you feel better or worse?

If You Want to Go Even Further: Get proactive with your health! Don’t wait for symptoms to start thinking about developing healthy habits. Make annual appointments with your family doctor, learn about your health insurance benefits, stay on top of essential labs like tracking your cholesterol and work with your primary doctor to setup important annual screenings. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

 

Don’t Do This: Obsess over illnesses that run-in families. Maybe you haven’t felt well for a while. Maybe a close relative had a serious illness when they were about your age. Maybe they even passed away tragically young. Turning to Dr. Google, you then learn that they may have had XYZ disease and it runs in families! Should you panic now?! No!

Do This Instead: Make an appointment with your primary care doctor to discuss your concerns. Don’t have a primary care doctor? Now’s a great time to get one. Try to stay away from your local Urgent Care, you should be trying to establish long-term care with a physician that’s going to get to know you. After you have your appointment, talk to them about what you’re concerned about and how those concerns are impacting your life. The doctor may order further testing to help rule in or out the chances of illness.

If You Want to Go Even Further: Learn about risk factors for illnesses. For example, diabetes has a strong genetic component. Talk to your doctor, and consult legitimate sources to learn all you can. Then once you’re equipped with that knowledge you can take steps to keep yourself in good health and stay proactive. This should help reduce illness anxiety. If you’re not sure about a source of information, talk to your doctor – they can help you tell apart trustworthy and untrustworthy sources of information, they might even have some good resources of their own! Thrifty Patient is one of those good sources of information. Like our very popular articles on Major Losartan Recalls hitting the country or information about supplements like CBD, we only deliver quality information about your health.  

Don’t Do This: Don’t trust miracle cures that pop up when asking Dr. Google a question. All search engines, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, etc use complex algorithms to direct traffic to popular and relevant content. However, what Dr. Google can’t do is tell evidence-based medicine apart from wacky theories. Abby Ohlheiser of the Washington Post recently wrote about the flood of bogus medical cures that can be found online. 

Do This Instead: Empower yourself in your next discussion with your doctor by asking them how they make their treatment decisions. Most doctors will tell you that they follow evidence-based practices and keep up to date on the latest research guidelines for their specialties.


If You Want to Go Even Further:
Take the evidence-based approach yourself when doing research into therapies. Then bring your evidence to your doctor. You might be surprised at how open and flexible many doctors are to try new things, especially if you can show them good research. Just remember, not all research is created equal. Click here to learn more about the Pyramid of Quality Research!

It’s important to stay on top of your health and we’re the biggest advocates of patients taking their health into their own hands. However, you need good tools if you plan on getting anywhere. Search engines like google are one of those tools that can do as much harm as good. We’d love to hear your stories about illness anxiety and if searching symptoms online helped or caused even greater illness anxiety. 

How to Prepare for an ACA Repeal – 6 Important Steps

Affordable Care Act Faces Uncertain Future

On Wednesday, May 1st 2019 the Trump administration signaled it’s legally challenging the constitutionality of the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA). This marks a shift from their earlier position that parts of the act were good and parts should be struck down. If the entire ACA repeal goes through, then up to 20 million people in the US are in a position to lose coverage.

The Thrifty Patient is an a-political, pro-patient organization. Our mission is to help all patients, no matter how they vote. So, instead, we’re looking at who has benefited from the ACA and how you can prepare for an ACA repeal if you are going to lose coverage.

Who Benefits the Most from the ACA?

There are 4 groups of people in particular that benefit from the ACA. If you’re one of the over 20 million in one of these groups, you would be rightly concerned about what an ACA repeal means for you.

1. People with Pre-Existing Conditions. The ACA ensured that insurance companies couldn’t deny coverage to people with costly pre-existing conditions. Here are some proposed examples of pre-existing conditions. Before the ACA, there were over 400 pre-existing conditions defined by insurance companies, the most common being Cancer, Diabetes, Pregnancy, Mental Illness, and Hepatitis.

2. Young Adults. Under the ACA coverage was extended to the age of 26. You may have noticed young people think they’re invincible. You combine this with the fact that many young people don’t have very well paying jobs until their late 20’s and you’ll find many not affording or thinking they can skip coverage.

3. Low-Income & Lower-Middle Class Families. The ACA allowed states to expand medicaid coverage to so that your household qualifies if the household’s income is below 138% the income level. Check this healthcare.gov tool to see if your state expanded coverage and your household qualifies!

4. People who Need / Use a lot of Care (Via Elimination of Lifetime Caps). One group of people who benefited tremendously was people who have required very costly cares. Before the ACA you had limits to the amount insurance would pay out to cover your bills. For people like newborn Timmy Morrison’s parents, who got a $2 million dollar medical bill – this could quickly bankrupt you. Medical bills are still the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the US, and the ACA was a step towards addressing this.

Is the ACA Repeal giving you a headache?

How to Prepare for an ACA Repeal

If the thought of and ACA repeal gets your heart pounding and your blood pressure skyrocketing…

First, take a deep breath. There are many steps and barriers until that’s a reality. Even if it does happen, we all hope that the politicians have learned how popular at least parts of it are, and won’t want the fallout of kicking everyone off.

Second, start doing research. As the demand grows, options like transparent, out-of-pocket care are becoming more widely available. Also look into what options will allow you to obtain care for free. We have an excellent write up on how to get free dental care. ACA repeal or no repeal, these options are worth knowing about!

Third, take stock of your finances. If you receive care for free now, what can you start saving towards medical expenses? Look into options like High Deductible Plans and Health Savings Accounts. These options are especially important to young adults, who may be aging off their parent’s plans earlier. Don’t let an ACA repeal catch your bank account flat-footed.

Fourth, begin asking about ways to save money now. There are many options out there for drug cards, generic medications, free wellness programs, and so on. Even if the repeal doesn’t go forward, you can only benefit from knowing more about your options.

Fifth, use your coverage now! Take care of those health problems NOW while your coverage is solid. If you’ve been putting off going to the dentist, do it now. If you’ve had shortness of breath, or a sore back or knees that you’ve been ignoring, now might be the best time to get them taken care of. Best case scenario, a year from now you feel better then ever and you still have your coverage.

Finally, if you feel strongly one way or the other about a repeal, take action and contact your representatives to tell them how you feel. At the Thrifty Patient we want to help empower every person to be the best advocate they can be for themselves.

Healthereum – A New Incentive for Healthy Behaviors

Healthereum – a New Incentive for Healthy Behaviors

When I was a kid, I used to get a lollipop for going to the doctors’ office. Nowadays, I get a copay. How would you like to return go the time of be rewarded for going to your appointments? And I’m not talking lollipops. The health care startup Healthereum is looking to utilize blockchain technology to do just that.

Healthereum digital coins

Healtherium Life Portfolio aka HELIOS is creating a rewards system for patients making appointments, finishing surveys, completing tasks, and so on. As a patient completes a task, they’re rewarded with digital tokens that can be traded back in to the provider. The provider is empowered to determine exactly what these tokens are worth. It reminds me a lot of the arcades where you win tickets that you can trade in for prizes. Except ideally these prizes are worth a lot more then the pencil eraser I’d usually wind up with.

You’d be totally forgiven if you were in a rush to dismiss Healthereum after hearing the words ‘blockchain’, ‘startup’, and ‘digital token’. However, the development team isn’t your run-of-the-mill garage hackers. Founded by experienced physicians and software engineers and advised by industry experts and executive business leaders, HELIOS brings a significant amount of expertise to the fore. This team behind Healtherium, has also developed a number of other extremely impressive products.


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HELIOS is one of the latest examples in a trend towards incentivizing patient compliance and behavioral interventions. Research done into the behavioral science aspects of incentivizing care shows that it can often result in improved compliance. HELIOS looks exciting and it’ll be great to watch the development of the product to see how practices implement it.

In regards to of the larger field of incentivizing compliance, this writer has some concerns regarding the ethics of such systems. No one likes feeling manipulated or strong-armed into doing things. Such systems also need to consider issues of accessibility. A 20-something software engineer might know how to fully take advantage of something like a digital reward, but a retiree who doesn’t own a PC might have some trouble fully utilizing it and thus may be left out of savings. We absolutely don’t want to leave our vulnerable populations behind as we modernize care.

As Healthereum matures, we’ll continue to bring you news about how you can use it to save more at the doctors. In the meantime, check out our articles about how to save now. Like 8 simple ways you can make the most out of your next doctor’s visit!

6 Weird Diets We Can’t Believe People Tried!

6 Weird Diets that You SHOULDN’T Try!

What Would You Eat to Lose Weight?

Oh Boy, people sure have created some WEIRD diets in order to lose weight. We look at 6 of the strangest diets that people actually thought would work! Suffice to say all of these diets are BAD IDEAS and you shouldn’t try them… 

 

Once you start thinking about wanting to lose weight, you’re faced with a scary task. How do you make sense of all the conflicting information out there? April 2019 is our month of weight loss and obesity education! We’ll be examining diet plans, work-out plans, nutrition, weight-loss groups, the science of obesity and weight-loss, and even some things you can do to make money for losing weight!

Weird Diet #1 – The Tapeworm Diet

The perfect weird diet for crazy people and parasite lovers. Who writes down ‘Infect Self with Tape Worm’ when trying to figure out how to lose weight? Suffice to say, this is a bad bad bad idea.

Buy hey, on the plus side, hey at least you get a free low-maintenance pet!

Weird Diet #2 – The Cigarette Diet

Comes with Free Lung Cancer!

For an unlimited time, this diet comes with a free side of lung cancer!

Weird Diet #3 – The Air Diet –

Also known in some circles as starving yourself. The air diet is a dumb and dangerous approach to weight loss. Basically you pretend to eat food, but really only drink salt water. Do you really need a doctor to tell you how dumb this idea is? This worst part… unlike most of the other diets on here, this one is pretty recent.

 

On second thought… maybe I should start one of those meal box plans. For only $20 a month you get 4 weeks of empty boxes. Bon appetite! 

Weird Diet #4 – Fletcherism

Out of all the weird diets this one is a mouthful!

Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. 

Spit

 

This diet was all about chewing your food excessively and then spitting out the pulpy mush still left. 

 

 

The diet’s founder even had specific rules about how many times to chew each type of food. Out of all the weird diets, this one has a grain of good advice in it. Eating slower is a good idea. I mean, chewing your french fries 900 times won’t help you lose weight, but being more mindful about eating is always a good idea! 

Weird Diet #5 – Cotton Balls?

“So what’s for dinner tonight?”

“I was thinking of having cotton balls.”

“Yum, that sounds great! I’ll have some too.”

So with this diet you dip the cotton ball into a liquid and eat it. Probably one of the dumbest things you can do with a cotton ball (That’s not a challenge!

 

Also, this another recent diet that breaks my historical diet rule. Sure makes that chewing diet look pretty smart in comparison! 

Weird Diet #6 – Arsenic Pills?!

Oh comeon seriously?

Yeah I’m sure poisoning yourself will help you lose some weight. Why don’t you just hack off a leg while your at it. That’ll help you drop a few pounds. This item on the list of weird diets is thankfully harder to obtain now we don’t put arsenic in our diet drugs.

 

Look, there’s no shortcuts to losing weight. I wish there were! Fad diet of today, become the material for comical posts tomorrow. What’s no joke is the impact that being overweight has on your health and well-being. If you’re interested in learning about the quickest way to lose weight you should talk to your doctor, read our article, and do your research! Also, carefully crafted diet plans like those offered by BistroMD or created by a nutritionist bolster your chances for your weight loss goals. 




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What is the quickest way to lose weight?

12 Key Facts About the Quickest Way to Lose Weight!

12 Key Facts About the Quickest Way to Lose Weight!

Once you start thinking about wanting to lose weight, you’re faced with a scary task. How do you make sense of all the conflicting information out there? April 2019 is our month of weight loss and obesity education! We’ll be examining diet plans, work-out plans, nutrition, weight-loss groups, the science of obesity and weight-loss, and even some things you can do to make money for losing weight!

Losing weight doesn't have to be scary

We’ve identified 12 key facts you need to know if you want to find the quickest way to lose weight. Trying to figure out the quickest way to lose weight without understanding the basics, is like trying to find the fastest way home when you’re already lost.

Being confused by how to lose weight is normal. Don’t worry, weight loss is confusing and you’re not alone. In a recent post we talked about the importance of losing weight, and how expensive it could be. However, actually losing weight can be dauntingly intimidating. When I was younger it felt simple, eat less and exercise more. Ok, to be honest, when I was younger, I had the metabolism of a humming bird and probably couldn’t gain five pounds if I ate fast food for every meal. Those days are long long gone.

Affiliate Disclaimer – This post highlights one of our affiliates – BistroMD. If you decide to purchase from them, Thrifty Patient may make some money. FYI, our affiliate policy is very strict, and we turn down partnerships that don’t meet our high health, ethical, social, and savings standards.

1. Know Your BMI

The very first piece of information you should understand is your BMI, or Body Mass Index. This will tell you if you fall into an underweight, normal, overweight, or obese category.

Use this simple calculator to find out your BMI.

Why is this Important?: Trying to lose weight without knowing your BMI is trying to tell how much fuel is in your car without looking at the fuel gauge. It’s all just a guess until you take a look at the number!

2. Know That 1 Pound = 3500 Calories

2. 3500 Calories in a Pound

There are 3500 calories (or kilocalories) in a pound. Unfortunately losing a pound isn’t as simple as just dropping 3500 calories. Among other things, you should also know what your estimated calorie count should be.

Why is this Important?: Calories are an important bridge between our food and our weight. It’s not the whole story, but an important piece in weight loss.

3. Know That Shortcuts, Fad Diets, Starvation and Exercise Alone Isn’t Enough!

The quickest way to lose weight is not by taking a shortcut. Also, sadly, exercise alone isn’t enough. Don’t get me wrong, the right diet, cutting down on calories, and exercising are all important. Remember, a short-term, weight-loss shortcut isn’t going to give you the lasting lasting weight-loss results you want. It’s better to make small improvements over a longer period of time.

Why is this Important?: A lot of companies will pray on people who equate weight loss with exercise or radical diets. Yet the science shows that exercise alone isn’t enough. And some of those fad diets can be questionable!

This leads us to one of the reasons we like BistroMD so much. They provide to scientifically-proven and nutritionally balanced meals.

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A Bacon Milkshake, Blech

Remember, a short-term, weight-loss shortcut isn’t going to give you the lasting lasting weight-loss results you want. It’s better to make small improvements over a longer period of time.

4. Know That It’s Not Just What You Eat!

We like to think in simple terms. I’m overweight because I eat too much. If I eat less, I’ll lose weight. This misunderstanding is probably the most important fact you need to know if you want to discover the quickest way to lose weight.

Eating right is just step towards the quickest way to lose weight

The science of food, eating, and weight loss is fairly complex. Our bodies sense if we’re not getting activity. They treat different kinds of food differently! They are regulated by complex hunger hormones and are sensitive to chronic illness and disease.

Why is this Important?: Two reasons. First of all, this fact reminds us to resist the urge to oversimplify. Second, as the saying goes ‘know thyself’. It’s always important to talk to your doctor before starting any weight loss plan. They can help you identify if you have any health concerns that’ll derail your plans!

This is another area where BistroMD really shines. Their meal plans take a complex look at nutrition and dietary needs.


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5. Know How to be Mindful When Eating

How much time do you spend eating? Do you rush through your meals, like a job to be done? Do you actually take the time to experience your meals or are you too busy thinking of the next thing you need to do?

Why is this Important?: The quickest way to lose weight involves thinking about eating and dieting as an experience that involves our mind, body, social connections, and spirit. Click here to learn more about mindful eating.

Mindful Eating

6. Know Calories in < Calories Out… but…

As you learn more about dieting, don’t forget the basic mantra “Calories in should be less than calories out”. What does this mean? To lose weight, the amount you’re eating in calories should be less then the energy you’re burning and the exercise you’re doing. Remember you need to burn off 3500 calories to lose a pound. However… this doesn’t paint the whole picture. As we’ve stated earlier, it’s tempting to oversimplify and treat all calories the same. It’s obvious that 2000 calories of carrots and 2000 calories of donuts should be treated differently.

Why is this Important?: This is important to keep in mind as a general rule. But we should also be aware of its limitations. If we can be sharp enough to keep track of our calorie intake / output and wise enough to know not all calories are created equal, then we’ve taken a mighty leap along the quickest way to lose weight.

7. Know That Calorie Quality Matters

This point is worth repeating twice. Not all calories are created equal, and calorie quality matters!  Harvard Medical school has a great article that talks about how not all calories are created equal. Another benefit of the BistroMD meal plans is that they’ve created meals that already take this into account. With BistroMD your meals are custom designed by registered dietitians. Take advantage of BistroMD and get 25% and Free Shipping. 

Why is this Important?: If you’re serious about losing weight, self-sabotage is going to be a daily problem. It’s very easy to fool yourself into thinking that a few hundred calories from a drink, or some fast food are just like any other calories.

8. Know That Weight Loss Requires a Whole-Body View

Weight Loss Via a Whole Body View

We don’t eat just because we’re hungry. People eat when stressed, they associate food with happy times and sad times. Can you think of a food you hated or loved eating when growing up? Do you still avoid / crave those foods now? We naturally attach psychological and social events to eating. Here’s an article from the Cleveland Clinic about the roles food plays in our lives and strategies to address the psychological aspects of food.

Why is this Important?: Dieting without anticipating the psychological or social impact creates needless barriers to success. Diets often fail, and not knowing of that failure is due to a physical, social, or a psychological barrier sets you up for future failures.

9. Know That With Plans, One Size DOES NOT Fit All


There is no one right plan or path to weight loss. You’ll read reports about diets like the Atkin’s diet and the Keto diet or about plans like BistroMD or Weight Watchers. Many people will claim that each plan is the quickest way to lose weight. But, always keep in mind that what works for others, might not work for you – and that’s fine! One of the reasons we like BistroMD is because it offers so many choices. They work to reduce the chance of failure by working with you to find a program that works the best for you.

Why is this Important?: Keep in mind that the quickest way to lose weight for OTHERS might not be the quickest path for YOU.

10. Know About Decision Paralysis

Decision Paralysis
Talk About Too Many Choices!!

Decision paralysis is when you have so many options it’s hard to pick one – so you don’t pick any and postpone, or you pick them all and don’t get anywhere. There are so many diet options out there! Many will promise to be the quickest way to lose weight. Each will have true believers, heaps of evidence, and tons of success stories. This leads to an interesting problem. Which do you pick? Are you easily distracted and try every new diet?

Why is this Important?: Keep in mind that the quickest way to lose weight for OTHERS might not be the quickest path for YOU. Being aware of decision paralysis sets you up to create a plan to avoid it.

11. Know How to Identify Points of Failure!

Your weight loss plans are only as good as its weakest link. Do you drive past your favorite fast food place on the way to work? Are you trying to eat vegan but hate carrots? Are you starting your diet up at the same time a big audit is going on at work?

Why is this Important?: Stressors don’t make it impossible to diet, in fact if you can identify and get in front of problems, your chances of success will go way up!

12. Know When to Seek Out Support

No One is An Island

There may be times when you hit a wall, or need advice on how to make your diet work. If you’re serious about losing weight, consider seeking out help. The quickest way to lose weight is through the hard-learned lessons of others.

Why is this Important?:

Cigna Insulin Monthly Price Capped at $25

Breaking News: Monthly Cigna Insulin Costs now Capped at $25.00!

Today Cigna and Express scripts took a major step towards driving down the price of insulin for everyday patients. Studies by groups like the American Diabetes Association that insulin prices are rising and people are cutting back due to affordability. For a chronic disease that costs the US more than 300 billion dollars yearly, highly priced insulin is as unethical as it is unaffordable. Insulin is a required drug needed to manage blood sugar levels. Without insulin, the consequences can be life-threatening. In fact, before the discovery of insulin, diabetes was a fatal disease. 

Sadly, for many people the cost of insulin can be the difference between if they are treating their disease or just hoping it doesn’t get worse. Insulin too is only part of the problem. Since diabetes is a chronic disease, the cost of testing strips, meters, and regular blood work can be both financially and emotionally draining. With this Cigna insulin Patient Assurance Program, at least one of these factors is being addressed. 

Cigna, Insulin, & Express Scripts

Cigna, working with Express Scripts has just announced a new capped price for monthly insulin. For participating Cigna plans, the Cigna Insulin Patient Assurance Program works by bumping down your copay. According to Cigna, this results in an average cost drop from $41.50 for a 30-day supply to $25.00 for that same 30-day supply. All of the savings works out to to about $200.00 a year. Taking into account that Diabetes is a life-long, chronic condition this could result in thousands of dollars in savings. 

Thrifty Patient News: 
 Eli Lilly to sell 50% Cheaper Generic Insulin

Who Benefits the Most from The Cigna Insulin Plan?

Cigna Insulin Plan

Everyone who needs insulin should benefit from lower prices offered by the Patient Assurance Program. By the way the press release was worded, certain plans may already be paying less then $25 for a month’s supply of Cigna insulin. People expected to see the biggest benefit will be those on a limited incomes, people who are on high-deductible plans (who may be paying premiums for prescriptions), and people who have been forced to cut back on their insulin due to financial constraints.

 

Thrifty Patient News:
4 Reliable Ways to Get a Free Glucometer

How Do I Take Advantage of the Patient Assurance Program?

First, you need to be a Cigna member. At the time of this writing open enrollment is currently closed and will reopen this year from Nov. 1st 2019 to Dec., 15th 2019. There are some circumstances which may allow you to sign up now, you should read about them on Cigna’s website or talk to one of their service representatives (click here).

If you are a member and interested in learning more about the Patient Assurance Program, I’d recommend calling Cigna directly or visiting their website.

Cigna indicates in their press release that they’ll “be activating this new program for participating plans by moving covered insulin products to a lower copay.” You may still want to call to make sure everything is going as planned and to learn when your lower costs will be reflected in your bills. 

History of Eli Lilly & Discovery of Insulin



Want to learn more about, arguably, the greatest medical discovery of the 20th Century? Pick up a copy of Michael Bliss’ The Discovery of Insulin

Do you control your diabetes using a drug like Metformin? You might be surprised what you learn when check out our article about generic vs brand name prices. Generic Vs. Brand Name: The Shocking Price Difference of the 10 Most Common Drugs


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Get Your Free National Park Pass

5 Ways to Get a Free National Park Pass

Can I Get a Free National Park Pass?

Spring is here and the weather is finally warming up. As part of our launch into April, we’ll be exploring five ways to get a free national park pass. Read below to find out who qualifies for a free national park pass. Want to just skip to the park page? Click Here!

1. You have a Qualifying Permanent Disability

Free National Park Pass

Who is Eligible?: This free LIFETIME pass is available to people who have been medically determined to have a permanent disability.

To get the pass you can either fill out the online form, mail in a paper application, or apply in person. If you fill out the application online or mail it in, there’s a $10 processing fee. If you are planning to apply in person, then you do not need to fill out any forms in advance, just make sure to contact the site to ensure they have passes available. As with all of these passes, in addition to yourself, this pass also covers everyone in the same vehicle as you.

Documentation Needed for the Free National Park Pass

Here’s the requirements for documentation, directly from the form:

A statement signed by a licensed physician attesting that you have a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, and stating the nature of the impairment;

OR

A document issued by a Federal agency, such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Administration, which attests that you have been medically determined to be eligible to receive Federal benefits as a result of blindness or permanent disability. Other acceptable Federal agency documents include proof of receipt of Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI);

OR

A document issued by a State agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency, which attests that you have been medically determined to be eligible to receive vocational rehabilitation agency benefits or services as a result of medically determined blindness or permanent disability. Showing a State motor vehicle department disability sticker, license plate or hang tag is not acceptable documentation.

Have You Heard About the Trend of Taking Uber Instead of an Ambulance to the ER!
Read More on the Thrifty Patient!

Honorable Mention

6. Discounted Senior Passes

Discounter National Park Tickets for Seniors

Who is Eligible?: US Citizens and permanent residents 62 or older.

The Senior Pass is one of the very best bargains out there. For $80 you can get a lifetime pass or for $20 the annual pass.

$80 won’t even get you a day at theme park, but it will buy you lifetime access to every national park in the US sounds like a pretty great deal to me! Read more here.  

2. You’re a US 4th Grader

Who Qualifies?: This is a really fun program available to all 4th Graders in the US.

Educators can even get the annual free national park passes for each of their 4th Grade Students. Here are the details! More rules and conditions can be found here!

3. You’re a Member of the US Military

Who Qualifies?: All current US military members and their dependents. Also most members of the US Reserves and National Guard and all of their dependents.

You’ll need your military ID when applying (CAC Card of DOD Form 1173). This’ll get you (and your dependents) a free $80 annual pass to the parks. Here’s the full FAQ for the annual military park pass.


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4. You’ve Volunteered more then 250 hours at a

Who is Eligible?: Anyone who has volunteered 250+ hours at a national park.

This free national park pass is a really nice perk to reward your generosity and dedication. You do not need to complete all 250 hours in a single year. Read more about the volunteer passes here and here.

5. You Head to the Park on a Free Entrance Day

Fee Free Days

2019 Has a number of free entrance days to the National Parks

Straight from the nps.gov website ala the very journalistic copy-and-paste.


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generic vs brand name

Generic Vs. Brand Name: The Shocking Price Difference of the 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Medications

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Generic Vs. Brand Name?

This question has very real financial impacts. Always ask your doctor if you can take a generic version instead of the brand name. The savings could be HUGE! We break down the math comparing generic drugs like Linisopril to their brand name counterparts.

Generic Vs. Brand Name: An Expensive Decision
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Here are the 10 most commonly prescribed drugs in the USA, with their brand name, generic name (If there is one) and the cost of each. This pricing is based on Drugs.com data and the Drugs.com discount card. We highly recommend you get this card, or another prescription card, as it can result in HUGE savings on medicine.

 

Drug Recalls Should Never be Ignored – 5 Simple Ways to Learn About Drug Recalls

 

A few things before we start looking generic vs brand name prices.

  1. The size of the pill will affect the price, 10mg will be more expensive then 20mg.
  2. The place you get the drug will affect the price, we hope to have some future articles about the best places to get common drugs. Right now all of these prices are based on info from drugs.com
  3. These prices are based on the cash price if you have insurance the prices will be different, or maybe even zero.
  4. Not all places take drug cards like the drugs.com prescription card. We’re working on an article about these prescription cards and hope to have it up shortly!

1. Lisinopril

Brand Name(s): Zestril, Prinivil, 5mg tablets
Prices: Zestril ($13.97 / pill ), Prinivil ($1.60 / pill

Generic Name: Lisinopril 5mg tablets
Price: $0.30 / pill

Common Use: Hypertension

These prices are based on a 90 pill bottle. As you can see, there’s massive savings using Lisinopril ($0.30) over the brand name counterparts. Zestril is a 4633% markup.

 

2. Levothyroxine

Generic Name: Levothyroxine, 0.05mg tablet
Price: $0.315 / tablet

Brand Names: Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid 0.05mg tablets
Prices: Synthroid ($1.02), Levoxyl ($0.91), Unithroid ($0.61)

Common Use: Hypothyroidism

These prices are based on a 90 and 100 tablet bottles. The jump up in price from generic Levothyroxine to brand name isn’t as striking as we saw with Lisinopril, but it’s still at 218% jump from Levothyroixine to Synthroid. Or another way to look at it like a jump from $31.50 to $100.20 for a bottle of 100 tablets. That’s a $70 difference!

 

3. Atorvastatin

Brand Name(s): Lipitor, 10mg tablets
Prices: $13.97 / tablet

Generic Name: Atorvastatin, 10mg tablets
Price: $0.30 / pill

Common Use: High Cholesterol

It’s ridiculous how much the price jumps up for Atorvastatin’s brandname counterpart Lipitor. You’re looking at a 4,5557% increase to treat a condition that impacts 102 million American adults.

 

4. Metformin

Brand Name(s): Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, 500mg tablets

Prices: Glucophage ($2.06 / tablet),
Glucophage XR ($1.14 / tablet), Glumetza ($53.83 / tablet), Fortamet($36.83 / tablet)

Generic Name: Metformin, 500mg tablets
Price: $0.25 / tablet

Common Use: Type II Diabetes

These prices are based off of a 60 or 100 tablet supply with 500mg tablets. As with Lisinopril, it’s striking how much the price can vary and it’s clear that the drug manufacturers are expecting people to have insurance to cover this. The difference between the prices of generic vs. brand name might be the difference between treated and untreated diabetes. If you’re interested in saving money on drugs like Metformin, remember to talk to your doctor about alternatives and not all of these listed drugs may be appropriate for you.

Amazon – Shop Now: Infinity Glucose Monitor
 

5. Simvastatin

Brand Name(s): Zocor, 5mg tablets
Prices: $3.90 / tablet

Generic Name: Simvastatin, 5mg tablets
Price: $0.55 / tablet

Common Use: High Cholesterol

These prices are based off of a 30 tablet supply. The difference between the generic and brand name prices 609%.

 

6. Omeprazole

Brand Name(s): Prilosec OTC, 20mg tablets
Prices: $0.93 / capsule

Generic Name: Omeprazole, 20mg tablets
Price: $0.76 / capsule

Common Use: GERD

These prices are based off of a 28 tablet supply. Omeprazole is one of the rare drugs where the brand name price is fairly close to the generic price.

 

7. Amlodipine

Brand Name(s): Norvasc, 2.5mg tablets
Prices: $6.91 / tablet

Generic Name: Amlodipine, 2.5mg tablets
Price: $0.45 / tablet

Common Uses: Angina, Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Failure

These prices are based off of a 90 tablet supply. The increase in price from the generic vs brand name is 1,435%! Totally ridiculous.

 

8. Metoprolol

Brand Name(s): Lopressor, 50mg tablets
Prices: $2.49 / tablet

Generic Name: Metoprolol, 50mg tablets
Price: $0.64 / tablet

Common Uses: Angina, Heart Attack

These prices are based on 100 tablet supplies. For what it treats, the jump isn’t as high as what we saw with Amlodipine. Still, going from generic to brand name is a 289% increase!

 

9. Acetaminophen

Brand Name(s): Tylenol, 325mg tablets
Prices: $0.26/ tablet

Generic Name: Acetaminophen, 325mg tablets
Price: $0.17 / tablet

Common Uses: Fever, Pain

A common drug found in medicine cabinets across the country. These numbers are based on 50 tablet supplies and it’s the first drug on the list that can be obtained without a prescription. The generic vs. brand name price difference is not as striking in this case. 

 

10. Albuterol

Brand Name(s): Proventil, 6.7g aerosol
Prices: $13.69 / gram

Generic Name: Albuterol, 90mL aerosol
Price: $0.34 / mL

Common Uses: COPD

The comparison here is a little skewed because the units given arn’t the same. If you’re having trouble paying for Proventil, you may want to check out this site for coupons and options.

These are only the 10 most common drugs that we looked at today. If you do find yourself needing one of these very common prescriptions, then take some time to compare the generic vs. brand name prices. Also, make sure to bring it up at your next doctor’s visit – an empowered and assertive patient is the best patient! In future posts we’ll compare pharmacy prices beyond drugs.com and the best places to get your generic prescriptions filled. 

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5 Simple Ways to Learn About Drug Recalls

Drug Recalls Should Never be Ignored

Drug recalls happen all the time – are you absolutely certain that none of your prescriptions have been recalled? Do you know how to find out if they were? While some recalls may be issued for drugs problems that pose little risk to humans, other recalls can be for much much more serious issues, and no recall should ever be ignored. Here are the top ways to learn about potential lurking dangers in your medicine cabinet!

 

1. FDA Website

The FDA is the top source for learning about drug recalls

 

Source: Wikipedia Commons

The first and best source of information is the FDA. Not only do they have names and dates, they also give you the reasons why the drug was recalled. Unfortunately some of the reasons the FDA gives are little difficult to understand. While you’re on the FDA’s site, you can learn more about safety alerts.

 

GENERIC VS. BRAND NAME: THE SHOCKING PRICE DIFFERENCE OF THE 10 MOST COMMON DRUGS

 

2. Recalls.gov

This is another great resource for all recalls, even those not related to medication. The prescription drug tab on this website links back to the FDA. However, recalls.gov is so much more. You can learn about all sorts of recalls, from food to drugs to boats! Definitely worth bookmarking.

 

3. FDA’s Recall Twitter

 

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I bet you didn’t even know the FDA had a twitter. Let alone one just for recalls! Follow the FDA’s recall twitter to get some of the fastest notifications about drug recalls.

 

4. WebMD – A great source for info on prescription medication recalls.

WebMD is a great source of information about specific recalls. For example, they have detailed information about 2018’s blood pressure medication recall. You may need to do some hunting on the WebMD website to find what you need. Also, they might not have information on every recall. Still, it’s a tremendous source of info if you can find what you’re after.

 

5. Your Doctor or Pharmacist

So far we’ve listed a few ways to learn about recalls by seeking out the information from sources like the FDA. However, many times your doctor or pharmacist will reach out and let you know about recalls. For this reason it’s really important that you keep your contact information up-to-date and check your voicemails. This is especially important if you’re helping elderly parents keep track of their drugs.

 

Have you had any bad experiences with drug recalls? Do you know of other ways to learn about recalls? We’d love to get your input in the comments below!

Free Dental Care – 9 Easy Ways to Find a Free Dental Clinic Today!

Dental Care is an often ignored, but very important part of your health! Neglecting dental health can result in expensive bills down-the-road and unintended health consequences. For many people the primary barrier to dental care is cost.

In this article we show you how to get completely, 100% free, dental care from local clinics! Stay tuned, because in future posts we’ll highlight other free community health and dental care programs that you should know about! 

 

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Dental Care is important to your health, but can be costly. Here are some ways to get free dental care.
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1.Free Dentistry Day

There are many dental clinics that offer free days for kids
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This is a great program with dental clinic events all over the US. Their website looks like it’s updated frequently by a really dedicated and caring group. There may be some restrictions at some locations – like some days may only be for kids or seniors and so on, so read up before travel. But if you’re near a location that’s having an event it’s a great option for free dental care.

2. FreeDentalCare.us

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Now THIS is a website you should definitely bookmark! They have a huge database of free and sliding-scale dental clinics in every state. They also have listings for dental clinics geared towards special needs and disabled populations. You may need to hunt around a little to find what you’re looking for, but if you’re concerned about your or a loved one’s dental health it’s well worth it!

3. ‘Give Kids a Smile’ Program

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The American Dental Association runs many wonderful programs, but this may be there best. The Give Kids a Smile program works with practices to hold free cleaning and dental education events for kids. As far as free dental care programs go, this is a winner! Ask at the Give Kids a Smile Facebook page for upcoming events. ProTip: Check out the recipient list on the ADA website. If you’re nearby to a practice on that list, reach out and see if they’ve held their event yet! 

 

BREAKING DRUG NEWS: ELI LILLY TO SELL 50% CHEAPER GENERIC VERSION OF INSULIN

4. Dentistry From the Heart

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Dentistry from the Heart is a non-profit “working to supply the world with free dental care services.” These kind-hearted individuals have a great website with lists of events at local dental clinics.

You should read the FAQ and please note this program is geared towards adults! If you’re looking for dental care for children, check out one of the programs listed above.

5. Dental Schools are a Source of Free Dental Care

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Dental schools are a great option for free dental care! The students get practice and you get free care. Not to mention the students are supervised by dental teachers, are some of the most skilled and experienced practitioners out there, supervise everything. You can find a list of dental schools on the ADA website.

6. Mission of Mercy – Free Community Health and Dental Care
(AZ, MD, PA, TX)

Mission of Mercy is a tremendous community health and dental care program
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If you live in Arizona, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Texas your in luck! This faith-based, independent, non-profit organization has been providing free dental, medical, and prescription medications since 1994. The community health and dental care programs run by the Mission of Mercy help countless people across these four states. 

You’ll definitely see Mission of Mercy in future posts here at Thrifty Patient, but don’t wait until then! Check out their site for free dental options.

7. American Dental Association

Source: pixabay.com

We’ve already covered the ADA’s big kid’s program – the Give Kids a Smile Program. Also keep an eye on their main website for upcoming events.

8. VA Dental Insurance Program

Source: Craig Adderley

For Veterans, you have access to the VA dental insurance program. This is a discounted insurance program that also can extend to beneficiaries. If you’re a veteran you should take a look at the website and the fact sheet for more info!

9. The Health and Human Services Website Has Dental Health Care Options

Source: snapwiresnaps.tumblr.com

The Health and Human Services website has a list of low-cost programs dental care. If you meet certain income requirements in certain states, the care might be entirely free! They also have a few free dental care programs listed. It’s worth taking a look!

Do you know of any other suggestions? Have you used any of the services we list above? Submit any dental clinics or free dental health programs on our tips page! 

8 Simple Ways to Make the Most Of Your Next Doctor Visit!

(And maybe even make some money!)

Going to the doctor’s office can be a pain. You’re usually sick or hurt and don’t get me started on the waiting! But, it doesn’t have to be so bad. Your doctor is there to help, and there are things you can do to get even more out of your next doctor visit.

Doctor Visits don't have to be so painful and unproductive!
Image Courtesy Pixabay

Have you ever walked out and realized you forget to talk about something or are unclear of what was talked about? Ever feel like you’re being rushed through the appointment? Here are some tips to make every visit as successful as it can be. The Thrifty Patient is here to help you plan to make the most out of your next doctor visit!

1. Treat yourself like your time is worth at least $150.00 per hour!

 Photo by energepic.com from Pexels
Photo by energepic.com from Pexels

You are the CEO, President, and Sole Proprietor of your body. Your time is valuable! Go into the doctor visit with a mission, goals, and the attitude that you’re here to meet with a highly skilled contractor of the most valuable business on the planet, Me. Inc. 

2. Write down your agenda, but limit it to 2 or 3 major topics.

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Would you believe patients talked about everything they went to the office for on only 21% of doctor visits!

Make sure you set the agenda. Be concise and upfront about why you’re there. The doctor will appreciate it and you’ll be able to leave the office feeling confident that every issue was taken care of.

3. Don’t let the 12-18 second rule get you during your brief Doctor Visit!

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12 – 18 Seconds… “That’s the average time it takes a doctor to interrupt you as you’re describing your symptoms. By that point, he/she has in mind what the answer is, and that answer is probably right about 80% of the time.”
– Dr. Groopman

Doctors are highly skilled problem solvers. They quickly want to help you with your health. But when people are nervous they might need a little time to work up to what they want to say. Your doctor won’t take offense if you calmly say there’s more you want to tell them. In fact I’m sure they’ll be happy you gave them even more info to work with!

4. SHARE!

gratisography.com

Trust me, your doctor has seen it all. By keeping details to yourself that you find embarrassing, you leave vital clues out of the picture. Personally, I’m proud when I do manage to shock my doctor, like the time I got Pink Eye so badly the doc exclaimed “Whoa!”.

5. Write It Down Before You Leave!

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Going to the doctor is stressful. Studies show 40% to 80% of what you’re told is forgotten before you leave! I mean come-on, it takes doctors years of training to learn all this stuff, how are you supposed to remember it when sick and worried?

Before you leave the office, write down what the doctor tells you and use the Teach-Back method to make sure you got it straight.

As the doctor is telling you what will happen next, write it down, then at the end say “Ok Doc, let me make sure I’ve understood all you said”. You’ll be surprised, you might even think of questions while you recite it back to them!

6. Check Those Meds!

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St. Joseph’s recommends that, for your safety, you keep a list of all your medications and bring that list with you whenever you visit your doctor. The doctor will appreciate it and it might save you a costly visit in the future to correct a mistake.

Here’s a great link to a medication sheet that St. Joseph’s created which you can fill out before your next visit!

7. Save on Drugs

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One in seven people don’t get their prescriptions because they cost too much. Part of the reason The Thrifty Patient was created is to help end this. If you’re having trouble paying for drugs, ask about a discount drug card during your next doctor visit. They’re free and offices usually have a stack lying around.

They also may have samples. Trust me, if they have samples they want to get them off their hands and into the hands of patients who can use them!

8. Want Free Money? Check Your HSA!

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Do you have a Health Savings Account (HSA)? Some employers have their HSAs setup so that if you complete a physical, dental, and eye appointment – or meet other conditions – they’ll contribute a ton of money to it. This could be hundreds of dollars of free money!

If you do have an HSA check with your employer to see if they offer this perk. Then on your next Doctor visit plan to get that physical done. It might also catch a problem that you can fix now rather then later!

Find Out About All the Money You’re Losing if you have a High Deductible Plan but No HSA in our upcoming April article!