Take the annoyance out of dealing with physicians and insurance carriers.
The following time-saving techniques will get you on the fast track.
PROBLEM: You Don't Have Time to Sit For Hours Inside the Waiting Room SOLUTIONS:

• See an open-access physician.
  Many physicians have started out providing their patients same-day appointments instead of scheduling weeks or even months ahead.
  This discourages double booking and lessens wait time.
  
• Complete forms ahead of time.
  Ask the medical office to fax or e-mail any forms several days ahead of your visit.
  Take these with you to the scheduled appointment, finished.
  
• Steer clear of the busiest periods.
  Take the very first scheduled appointment of the day.
  A further good option? The 1st appointment following lunch.
  Stay clear of these days: Mondays, Fridays, and the days just before and after holidays.
  

PROBLEM: You've got a Problem for the Physician Yet Don't Have an Appointment SOLUTIONS:

• Speak to the physician's nurse or the physician's assistant.
  You are much more likely to get one to the telephone easily.
  He or she might be able to respond to a routine problem for you or inform it to the physician and phone back with a response.
  You should definitely give instructions that it's OK to leave a voice mail or give the message to the person answering your phone.
  
• Inquire if you can e-mail your situation.
  Many doctors love to correspond with people via computer, while some choose not to, out of considerations for patient privacy or fears that an emergency is going to be missed.
  The receptionist can let you know if this is a good way to make contact with your doctor and, if so, approximately the time it will take for the doctor to get back to you.
  

PROBLEM: Staying on Top of Insurance Claim Forms Is Stressful SOLUTIONS:

• Make certain your insurance claim is completed correctly.
  Missing details may cause the insurance company to return a form back to you.
  Look to see that your physician's statement includes his tax id.
  Also make certain the billed amount is itemized whenever there were several charges.
  
• Work with tracking computer software.
  Frequently, even after careful examining, your insurance company's explanation of benefits (EOB) correspondence may not explain very much at all.
  Quicken Medical Expense Manager is a product which could help with this.
  With a little info from you, it can verify your reimbursements, flexible-spending account, and deductibles.
  And if you've been shorted, it can produce a personalized dispute letter for the insurance provider.
  

PROBLEM: You Need a Prescription Filled and Don't Want to Wait Around at the Pharmacy SOLUTIONS:

• Make certain the pharmacy has your present insurance data.
  Wrong information is the greatest time drain in pharmacies.
  If you wait until pickup time to notify the pharmacist that you have a new insurance card, it could add an extra 15-20 mins per prescription.
  
• Ask if your physician e-prescribes.
  Quite a few physicians are subscribing to services that transmit prescriptions coming from a computer or PDA to a pharmacy, reducing time and mistakes.
  You may also ask your doctor to telephone the prescription directly to the pharmacy.
  

Everyone who has ever endured a health problem is sure to have been affected by these problems.
By simply applying one or all of these approaches, it can save you precious time and you will have less stress in your life.