Don’t Leave Home Without Them!
May 9th, 2015I have noticed, particularly among younger patients, that people are not carrying around their health insurance cards. Sure, you could look up your policy number if you get into a medical emergency, but is that what you want to be doing when you’re in severe pain or just got into an accident? At this moment, if you walk through any emergency room without that card or insurance ID number, you will get a ton of paperwork and perhaps a bill. You may be insured, but not having that information upfront means you will be on the phone with the insurance company for many hours and many repetitions of “Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish, etc.”
Save yourself the trouble! Make sure you have your insurance card with you at ALL times. You can also take a photo of the card (front and back) and store it on your smartphone. I hope you will never need it, but medical accidents can happen at any time. Another card you should keep in your wallet is your HSA/FSA card. Did you know that you can purchase sunscreen with it? Here are some other commonly eligible items: band-aids, contact lens solution, first aid kits, condoms, reading glasses, blood pressure monitors, and insoles for your shoes. Don’t forget that you should always pay your medical and dental office co-pays with it.
If you have any medical issues, I highly recommend putting them on a card in your wallet and also on your phone. You may even want to buy a medical alert bracelet for conditions such as diabetes, atrial fibrillation (abnormal beating of the heart), or seizure disorder. You can never be over-prepared when it comes to your health!
