Get What's Yours for Health Care: How to Get the Best Care at the Right Price

by Philip Moeller

At a time when healthcare and medical insurance are more important than ever comes this authoritative, unbiased new volume in the acclaimed Get What’s Yours series.

Healthcare expert Philip Moeller has written a reliable, concise guide to healthcare and health insurance basics. He provides tools that patients need before, during, and after they get medical care. He describes the care we need, the care we don’t, and how to deal with doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. Moeller explains telemedicine and healthcare apps that have become so important during the coronavirus epidemic.

The book shares the stories of disruptive health innovators who have given us access to true health costs, cheaper prescription drugs, and low-cost care in and outside the US. You will learn how to avoid poor care, fight back against denied insurance claims and inflated bills, and use social media to connect with powerful advocates. Throughout, Get What’s Yours for Healthcare draws on stories of people who share their lessons on how to successfully navigate the healthcare system.

This invaluable guide helps people get access to the care they need at a price they can afford. It’s the book we all need now.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical, Health

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 12, 2021

Reviews

[Lindsey]

Interesting and informative, though the real litmus test for me in regards to whether this book was worth the read is if it will prove helpful with insurance shopping! Regardless, I am glad I picked up Get What's Yours. If I took anything away from it, it's that far too many of us acquiesce to the unreasonable -- often astronomical -- prices that American health care services and institutions charge without even trying to fight back. Our system is broken, but we can (and should) view crazy health care costs as negotiable. The difference could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars saved.

[Nathan Albright]

I must admit that I found this book fascinating from the perspective of a reader although I must admit that I disliked the premise of the book and presumably the author's work as a whole. The author frames this material as getting what one deserves, but that sort of entitlement mentality is one I abhor and despise. That is not to say that I am opposed to getting good things, but it's not a matter of merits. One gets what one negotiates, or the best that one can. Nothing in here is really about just desserts unless you assume (and I do not) that good health care is something that is deserved. At any rate, this is not a book that seeks to theoretically justify the author's presumed opinion about such matters but rather a book that is very practically focused on how it is that people can get the cheapest and best health care that one needs without getting unnecessary care that increases the costs for oneself and everyone else. And I have to say that I like this approach and find it to be both practical and useful. If the reader is an American and has an interest in health care there is a lot to like here.

This book has a somewhat complex scheme of organization. Seventeen chapters are divided among three parts, and in between some of the chapters the author takes the time out to celebrate someone he supposes to be a health care hero(ine). The first part of the book discusses health insurance basics (I), including the state of things at present (1), friends and foes in health insurance (2), how employers are seeking to reduce their costs (3), the ACA and other plans, including short-term plans (4), as well as Medicare (5) and Medicaid (6) coverage. After that the author discusses one's healthcare team (II), including a personal health plan (7), a personal care team (8), a professional care team (9), and what quality care looks like (10). The third and final part of the book then discusses new health care choices (III), including unneeded and misdiagnosed care (11), when one is in control and when not (12), shopping for health care (13), getting and paying for drugs (14), how to fight back against unfair charges (15), and what happens when consumers make the call (16), with a closing look at the pandemic and its changes in telemedicine, after which there are acknowledgements, appendices, note, and an index.

One of the more fascinating aspects of this book is the way that it deals with a few interesting aspects of the American health care system. The author notes the difficulty of cultural change and intelligently discusses attitudes that make American health care more expensive than would be the case otherwise. There are also comments about how it is that people who both support and condemn the American health care system do so about different aspects of it--where consumers have choice and power, there is something to be praised, and where there is no choice, there is a lot condemned, which reveals the author's own opinion about power and choice and its importance. By and large the author takes a point of view of seeking to exploit the law as well as the current technological climate and also to seek whatever rebates and discounts are available to the point of buying one's meds overseas to save on costs. This is not a person who is seeking to pay one's fair share, but rather to get the most one can out of healthcare, to the point of praising someone for arranging the location of where he gets insulin to save thousands of dollars that he would otherwise have to spend.

[Ellie]

Only three stars as I was hoping it would give way more insight into buying health insurance on the open market. The most helpful info was background on the healthcare system and why billing is so convoluted as well as tips on negotiating rates with providers. Would recommend just reading the chapters needed for one’s particular situation vs. reading the whole book. With that said, book pretty easy to get through. I did it on and off over the last couple of months. Good reference but no epiphany moments.

[Chiarra Banque welsh]

I was hoping to learn more insights from this book. I was however, confirmed to the fact that you have to take initiative in your health care as opposed to just obey and pay what was billed to you. As a patient, you have the right to know why such test or medications are needed and if cost is not covered by the insurance to talk to doctor and look for options. I was hoping this book is for everyone but it is more directed to the people nearing retirement who qualifies for Medicare.

[Polina]

Read this book, didn’t finish. This book is primarily targeted for American citizens dealing with American healthcare issues and coverage. I was hoping to find more general information on healthcare and how to make a good choice when purchasing healthcare insurance. This book was not helpful to me I am not an American citizen, nor do I live in the states. This was not helpful.

[Kathi]

I waited almost a year to get this book from the library, so I wanted to get as much as I could from it.

Already on Medicare, much of the opening chapters did not really apply to me. My Medicare advisor had already explained a good bit of the options for 65+ folks, so I found myself skimming quite a bit.

[Amanda Adams]

Excellent resource for navigating the healthcare system. Moeller has compiled a lot of resources for people to look into as they seek to get the best care at the lowest cost. Highly recommend reading!

[Paul Vogelzang]

Looking forward to chatting with author, Philip Moeller! Great, informative book.

[CherylR]

There was some good information in this book. I thought it average in regard to enjoying the writing style.

[Marte]

I learned a lot, but I also feel like I could learn more. It was informative, but it did not really deliver the points it said it would in the introduction, and that's why I gave it three stars.

[Ben]

An exciting book because it puts agency in our hands