Negotiating Medical Bills

Today on FightBack! we discuss the latest information about the COVID 19 vaccine, and the new delivery systems that are being developed. We talk about this development and how the lessons learned with the COVID-19 pandemic are helping scientists gain ground on other vaccines. Joining us to shed light on these issues is Dr. Mike Ybarra, Emergency Room Physician and Chief Medical Officer at Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America who shares his knowledge regarding vaccine developments, not only regarding COVID, but other vaccines as well.

In this Fight Back Minicast, we talk about chiropractic care. Chiropractic is a healthcare discipline emphasizing the body’s inherent recuperative power to heal without using drugs or surgery. The chiropractic practice focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.

We welcome our special guest, Dr. Steven Barham. After suffering a severe back injury playing college football, Steven faced major surgery but chose to try chiropractic care. The treatment he received provided quick and lasting results, and he decided to enter the chiropractic profession. For the last 30 years, he has been helping patients of all ages seek relief and healing from their health problems.

In this Fight Back Library release, Dr. Ted Mazer joins us to discuss how you can fit your medical expenses into your budget. We discuss the importance of shopping for medical procedures, ways to avoid surprise billing, understanding how in and out-of-network physicians and procedures affect your final bill, how to negotiate hospital bills, and more.

Dr. Mazer is a former President of the California Medical Association. In 2015, San Diego County Medical Society named him one of the county’s “Top Doctors” in their annual “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” survey published by San Diego Magazine.

Please see the companion episode, “Negotiating Medical Bills,” one of our most popular.

In early April 2023, President Biden signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to end the federal government’s emergency response to the COVID pandemic. What does that mean for America? How does that affect access to healthcare? Will new vaccines still be produced? Our COVID expert, Dr. Brad Pollock, joins us to answer these and other questions, including the new medical diagnosis of long COVID.

Listen in to this minicast as “Fight Back” covers the critically important topic of advanced healthcare directives, a legal document that addresses such end-of-life issues as “do not resuscitate” orders, treatment options, healthcare proxies, and more.
 
Our guest is Ashton Ellis, an expert on advanced directives and an attorney who creates advanced directives for families. Ashton is currently working to develop a curriculum that trains doctors and lawyers on how to apply the appropriate standard of care when complying with end-of-life care laws. Our conversation will briefly examine why a healthcare directive is so important for yourself and your loved ones.

On today’s new Fight Back episode, our hosts discuss the illegal Fentanyl drug crisis with California Assemblyman Joe Patterson and community advocate Laura Didier, who lost her son to illicit Fentanyl. With fentanyl deaths surging by 279% since 2016, public health and community leaders are looking for solutions.

Assemblyman Joe Patterson was elected in November 2022 and represents California Assembly District 5. Before his election to the Legislature, Joe ran his own business and served on the Rocklin City Council as Mayor. Laura Didier, after the loss of her son, began advocating and educating youth and parents about the danger of illicit Fentanyl. She travels nationwide to raise awareness of this crisis. Join us as we learn about the crisis, what leaders are doing to try to solve the problem in California, and what resources could be available in your community.

In this Library Release of Fight Back, we talk extensively about chiropractic care. Chiropractic is a healthcare discipline that emphasizes the body’s inherent recuperative power to heal itself without using drugs or surgery. The chiropractic practice focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.

We welcome our special guest, Dr. Steven Barham. After suffering a severe back injury playing college football, Steven faced major surgery but chose to try chiropractic care. The treatment he received provided quick and lasting results, and he decided to enter the chiropractic profession. For the last 30 years, he has been helping patients of all ages seek relief and healing from their health problems.

Dr. Barham will discuss the origins and evolution of chiropractic care, what patients should do to find the right chiropractor for their needs, what patients can expect at their first visit, and much more.

In this Fight Back Minicast, Dr. Ted Mazer discusses various ear, nose, and throat conditions and disorders. We get to hear about general care for your ears, learn some basic information about sleep apnea, and the questions you need to ask your specialist.

Dr. Mazer specializes in treating ear, nose, head, throat, and neck disorders. He was named one of the “Top Doctors” in the 2015 San Diego Magazine “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” and is a former President of the California Medical Association.

On this Library Release of Fight Back, we talk with special guest Dr. Alan Sanders, a specialist in infectious diseases. Dr. Sanders previously served as Chief of Medicine at St Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY, and currently is the Chief Medical Officer of St Peter’s Health Partners. He will soon be assuming the role of Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Albany Medical Center Hospital. Among many other responsibilities, he will spearhead establishing a telemedicine program to deliver clinical care—including diagnosing and treating infectious diseases—to underserved areas.

Dr. Sanders gives us a behind-the-scenes look at telemedicine, from the implementation and use of the technology to what consumers should do to educate themselves on how telemedicine can work for them. Listen in now!

In this Fight Back minicast, we jump into the complex world of long-term care insurance and what that really means. Our special guest is Bonnie Burns, who has more than 40 years of experience in long-term care insurance and works to improve consumer protections in state and federal legislation and regulations. She has served as a consumer representative to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners since 1992. She is a consultant to California Health Advocates providing training, educational materials, and technical assistance on long-term care insurance. Let's find out if consumers really need long-term care insurance.