Databases & Websites by Subject
Booklists
- Finding Your Way through the Health Care Maze
Resources to help you choose the best health insurance,
doctor and hospital, as well as information on how to spend
less for prescriptions.
Choosing Health Insurance
Books
Ref 368.01 THE
TheStreet.com
Ratings' Guide to HMOs and Health Insurers
This quarterly publication offers analysis and ratings
of insurance companies. Listings also cover PPOs, long-term,
dental and medical reimbursement insurance.
Ref 368.382 AME
America's Best Health Plans - 2005
From US News and World Report
362.16 MAT
Long-Term
Care: How to Plan and Pay for It by J.L. Matthews - 2006
368.382 BRO
Health
Care on Less Than You Think: The New York Times Guide to
Getting Affordable Coverage by Fred Brock - 2006
368.382 PIL
The
New Health Insurance Solution: How to Get Cheaper, Better
Coverage without a Traditional Employer Plan by
Paul Zane Pilzer - 2005
368.382 ROW
Consumers' Guide to Long Term Care Insurance by Stephen
F. Rowley - 2004
368.42 NOR
Health
Insurance Resource Manual: A Guide for People with Chronic
Disease or Disability by Dorothy E. Northrop - 2003
368.426 ALL
All
about Medicare 2007 - 2007
Websites
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Find the latest information on benefits and changes in
coverage. There is a special section on Medicare billing.
Health Insurance Info.net
This is link to the downloadable version of the 2006 Consumer's
Guide to Getting and Keeping Health Insurance in Illinois.
Illinois Division of Insurance
Find out about the Senior Health Insurance counseling service
that helps consumers with understanding Medicare. This
agency's publications include the Medicare Supplement
Premium Comparison Guide. You can also file a complaint
online or check out the complaint ratios of various HMOs
in Illinois.
Illinois Healthcare Portal
This health and wellness site is provided by the state
of Illinois. If offers links to specialized information
for children, parents, seniors, women, and the disabled.
Becoming an Informed Patient: General Guides
Books
610 BER
The
Patient's Guide to Preventing Medical Errors by Karin Janine Berntsen - 2004
610 LEV
What
Your Doctor Won't (or Can't) Tell You:
Doctors, Hospitals, Drugs, Insurance—What You Need
to Know to Take Charge of Your Own Health Care by Evan
Scott Levine - 2004
610.69 ROI
You,
the Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for
Getting the Best Treatment by Michael F. Roizen - 2006
610.696 ETT
The
Essential Patient Handbook: Getting the Health Care You
Need—from Doctors Who Know by Alan B. Ettinger - 2004
610.696 PIK
After
the Diagnosis: How to Look Out for Yourself or a Loved
One by Donna L. Pikula - 2006
615.5 PET
The
Savvy Patient: The Ultimate Advocate for Quality Health
Care by Mark C. Pettus - 2004
An excellent source of information from a doctor who covers
many aspects of securing the best health care.
Websites
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
This site lists guidelines for choosing a doctor, a hospital
or a health care plan. Although this website is in plain
text, its many considerations for selecting the best are
useful.
Consumer.gov
This section of the federal government website focuses
on all aspects of consumer needs in healthcare. It includes
informational pamphlets published by various government
agencies and lists links to more information on a particular
topic. There is a section with articles on choosing quality
health care.
Your Health Care Provider: Selecting and Working in Partnership
Books
Ref 610.69 AME
America's Top Doctors - 2006
Ref 610.69 CHI
Chicago's Top Doctors - 2005
610 GAL
How
to Survive Your Doctor's Care: Get the Right
Diagnosis, the Right Treatment, and the Right Experts for
You by Pamela F. Gallin - 2003
610 GRO
How
Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman - 2007
610.69 ROI
You,
the Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for
Getting the Best Treatment by Michael F. Roizen - 2006
Magazines
Ref 339.4 CHI Consumer Table
Chicago
Consumers' Checkbook, "Top-Rated Primary
Care Physicians," Winter-Spring, 2006, pp. 18–31
Websites
How to Select a Physician from emedicine
Surviving a Hospital Stay
Books
362.11 SHA
Protect
Yourself in the Hospital: Insider Tips for Avoiding Hospital
Mistakes for Yourself or Someone You Love by
Thomas A. Sharon - 2003
362.11 SHE
Dr.
David Sherer's Hospital Survival Guide: 100+
Ways to Make Your Hospital Stay Safe and Comfortable by
David Sherer - 2003
362.11 VAN
How
to Survive Your Hospital Stay: The Complete Guide to Getting
the Care You Need, and Avoiding Problems You
Don't by Gail Van Kanegan - 2003
Magazines
Ref 339.4 CHI Consumer Table
Chicago
Consumers' Checkbook, "Hospital Inpatient
Care," Winter – Spring, 2003, pp. 62 – 83
This article focuses on evaluations and ratings of local
hospital care using such criteria as attending physicians' ratings,
death rates, and affiliation with a major medical school.
Ratings by patients are also included for each hospital
and are based on such concerns as staff skill, hospital
atmosphere and quality of food.
Websites
Health Grades.com
This site allows you to find starred ratings of local hospitals
measured by their performance in treating specific conditions.
Detailed evaluations of individual hospitals are available
for a fee.
Hospital Compare
This excellent, detailed site evaluates US hospitals by
their performance in particular areas of care and the
quality measures they employ. Search by hospital name
or location.
Prescription Drugs
Books
615.1 NIT
Generic
Alternatives to Prescription Drugs by Diane Nitzki-George - 2004
615.1 PHI
The
Prescription Drug $avings Guide by Phil Philcox - 2003
This resource for the uninsured offers advice on how to
safely and legally purchase drugs in cost-controlled countries,
use bulk buying and mail order services, consult with a
physician on prescription medicine costs, and compare prices
at local pharmacies.
615.1 WEA
Smart
Medicine: How to Buy the Prescription Drugs You Need at
a Price You Can Afford by Peter Weaver - 2004
Magazines
Ref 339.4 CHI Consumer Table
Chicago
Consumers' Checkbook, "Prescriptions
for Less," Spring – Summer 2004, pp. 38 – 49
Many charts are included in this article, including one
that compares the price of prescriptions at various Chicago
area pharmacies. It includes lists of phone numbers and
online ordering sources.
Websites
Consumer Report Best Buy Drugs.org
This site discusses the effectiveness, safety and cost
of many widely used prescription drugs to help you choose
the most affordable option.
I-Save RX
Developed by the state of Illinois, this site offers discounts
on medications ordered from outside of the United States.
Free enrollment is required.
Illinois Prescription Assistance
The Illinois Department on Aging administers the Circuit
Breaker, the Pharmaceutical Assistance Program and SeniorCare
Prescription coverage.
Illinois RX Buying Club
For all Illinois citizens 65 years of age or older and
any disabled individuals, this is a membership club that
negotiates with drug companies to offer lower prices
based on the state's buying power. There is a $10
annual membership fee and discounts on prescriptions
average about 20%.
Prescription Drug Assistance Plans
The following Prescription Drug Assistance Plans make
medications available to patients who do not have medical
insurance coverage or cannot otherwise afford to fill their
prescriptions. Please note that some plans prefer to work
with the health care provider rather with individual patients.
Free Medicine.org
Offers substantial savings for applicants who meet certain
income requirements. A separate application must be submitted
for each medication requested. There is a $5.00 processing
fee for each application.
RX for Illinois.org
Not to be confused with I Save RX above, "Rxforillinois
is a program that connects qualified, low, income people
with discount prescription drugs, direct from the pharmaceutical
manufacturer."
Prepared by Marty Krause, August 2007 |
