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 Plans2005
From US News and World Report

362.16 MAT
Long-Term Care: How to Plan and Pay for It by J.L. Matthews2006

368.382 BRO
Health Care on Less Than You Think: The New York Times Guide to Getting Affordable Coverage by Fred Brock2006

368.382 PIL
The New Health Insurance Solution: How to Get Cheaper, Better Coverage without a Traditional Employer Plan by Paul Zane Pilzer2005

368.382 ROW
Consumers’ Guide to Long Term Care Insurance by Stephen F. Rowley2004

368.42 NOR
Health Insurance Resource Manual: A Guide for People with Chronic Disease or Disability by Dorothy E. Northrop2003

368.426 ALL
All about Medicare 20072007

• 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 Berntsen2004

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 Levine2004

610.69 ROI
You, the Smart Patient: An Insider’s Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment by Michael F. Roizen2006

610.696 ETT
The Essential Patient Handbook: Getting the Health Care You Need—from Doctors Who Know by Alan B. Ettinger2004

610.696 PIK
After the Diagnosis: How to Look Out for Yourself or a Loved One by Donna L. Pikula2006

615.5 PET
The Savvy Patient: The Ultimate Advocate for Quality Health Care by Mark C. Pettus2004
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 Doctors2006

Ref 610.69 CHI
Chicago’s Top Doctors2005

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. Gallin2003

610 GRO
How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman2007

610.69 ROI
You, the Smart Patient: An Insider’s Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment by Michael F. Roizen2006

• Magazines
Ref 339.4 CHI Consumer Table
Chicago Consumers’ Checkbook, “Top-Rated Primary Care Physicians,” Winter-Spring, 2006, pp. 18–31

• Website
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. Sharon2003

362.11 SHE
Dr. David Sherer’s Hospital Survival Guide: 100+ Ways to Make Your Hospital Stay Safe and Comfortable by David Sherer2003

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 Kanegan2003

• 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-George2004

615.1 PHI
The Prescription Drug $avings Guide by Phil Philcox2003
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 Weaver2004

• 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%.

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