JoePatient‘s mission is to empower the most submissive component in today’s healthcare delivery system — YOU, THE PATIENT. Currently, the hospital marketplace has none of the basic components of a typical marketplace.
Imagine you visit a city you have never been to before. Someone other than you has picked the hotel for you. The taxi ride there may be free or cost thousands but you will not know the amount until their bill comes in the mail weeks later. You have no good idea ahead of time what your stay will be like. You only discover that after you have checked in. When you leave, you are handed a bill for $450.00 a night. You discover the guy across the hall in the same type room was billed $95 and the poor person down a floor was billed $12,500 a night. None of these guests were able to choose the hotel based on features and amenities and no one knew prices until they checked out. And to top it off, there are still more confusing bills yet to come over the following weeks and months — from housekeeping, food service, maintenance and more.
That would be absurd . . . but in many ways that’s how our health care system works today.
JoePatient believes by making more information available in an understandable, unbiased manner, a more rational and competitive marketplace will evolve over the long-term for the benefit of you.
There was a time not too long ago,
when people read travel guidebooks to pick a good hotel.
At the time it seemed like a good enough process.
People did not really see that as a problem.
Then Tripadvisor came along.
There was a time not too long ago,
when people read newspaper reviews to pick a restaurant.
At the time it seemed like a good enough process.
People did not really see that as a problem.
Then Yelp came along.
There was a time not too long ago,
when people paid a stockbroker to pick a good stock.
At the time it seemed like a good enough process.
People did not really see that as a problem.
Then Motley Fool came along.
Today people mostly let doctors and insurance companies guide
their journey across another big component of everyday life -
health care.
And it seems like a good enough process.
After all, every hospital is assumed to be good enough.
But now JoePatient has come along.
Be Knowledgeable
Know your medical history. Know the rules of your insurance plan. Know the strengths/weaknesses of various hospitals and other providers available to you.
Be Proactive
Plan ahead. Don’t wait until you have a medical emergency to learn about your options. Take responsibility now. Identify each hospital’s unique expertise before you need services. When possible, select a health plan that allows you access to the providers of your choice.
Ask Questions
Speak up – use your knowledge to probe your doctor’s choice of hospital and treatment plans or your employer’s choice of health plans. Be an active partner rather than a passive recipient of your healthcare services. Questions to consider:
Is surgery or treatment necessary? What are alternatives?
To what degree would you expect my treatment to vary from the “average”?
Why are you recommending that particular facility?
What services are / are not included in the hospital charges?
How much will my insurance cover? What am I responsible for?
Remember your doctor’s decisions about your care are the single most important determinant of your health care cost – his or her choice may be influenced by convenience, financial incentives, or other factors which may not be in your best interest.