Hello Medicare Shopper, I hope this note finds you well.
Just like they said in the Paul Newman movie Blaze…
“Never trust a man who says ‘trust me!'”
The same goes for healthcare.
You already know that most healthcare practitioners are decent, honest, well meaning professionals, committed to maintaining and improving your health.
But that doesn’t mean they are free of cognitive bias. We are all guilty of being trapped in our in silos of beliefs and practices.
So if you receive health advice and they recommend invasive/expensive services or procedures…
GET A SECOND OPINION!
More often than not, the second opinion will confirm the advice of the first practitioner…
But sometimes it won’t.
I had a dentist who recommended a crown. Like any normal patient, I had the crown done and thought nothing of it (Other than it was a lot of money).
Six months later, they recommended another crown for a different tooth. That gave me pause!
Instead of saying yes immediately, I had their office email the x-rays and the paperwork to me and then sent them to a different dentist.
The new dentist told me that I could have the crown done if I wanted but that it truly wasn’t necessary, not yet anyway!
My wallet said thank you!
Look, getting a second opinion is NOT an indictment of your doctor!
My brother is a Radiation Oncologist. He routinely provides second opinions and encourages his patients to seek out second opinions as well.
And like this article on WebMD says, visit a different institution if you can.
A competent Medicare Insurance Broker will do the same thing: they will work with multiple carriers and types of coverage so that you can explore all of your options, and NOT pigeon hole you into a single plan or company.
So get a second opinion, and if you need one on Medicare insurance options, book a time on my calendar here.