Publisher’s Note – My Mama Told Me You Better Shop Around

My Mama Told Me You Better Shop Around

Back in the day, there was a song we listened to on our transistor radios and in our cars called “Shop Around.” The lyrics were filled with sage advice in the form of a mother cautioning her daughter to be selective when deciding whom to marry. After all, the song said, you’re going to meet a lot of potential suitors, but when it comes to settling down, don’t settle for just anyone. Be picky, consider that the person you marry is going to be with you for richer, for poorer, through thick and thin, good times and bad. (Sometimes I think my wife Carol believes she should have visited one more store!)

For most of us, shopping around is a way of life. For me, shopping is my middle name! I inherited the shopping gene from my mom, Shirley Felix, who never met a sale she didn’t like. Growing up in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, I decided early on that “the shopping” far surpassed “the sale.” My idea of relaxation is still a road trip to all the electronics stores along U.S. 1. Buying a new car? Go to all the dealerships and test drive them all. Planning to travel? Go to the Web and find all the different routes, air fares, and hotel options. Like all of us in these enlightened times, I gather information in copious amounts, compare and contrast tons of options, and make educated choices (hopefully) on a daily basis.

But do we follow this practice as healthcare professionals and consumers? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. When we’re looking for a family physician — someone with whom we’d ideally want to establish a long-term relationship — we often ask a friend, then call for an appointment. That might be all it takes to find the right doctor or hospital, but it just seems ironic that we’d spend so much time researching auto body shops after a fender bender, but so little time investigating what makes a particular healthcare professional or service fit for our needs. After all, aren’t our bodies a lot more important than those of our cars?

In the physician’s office, we tend to accept what the doctor says, and often without question. Let’s say, hypothetically, that I go to the doctor with a nagging medical problem. I tell the doctor that it’s really been bothering me, and he tells me something along the lines of, “take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” My lingering feeling, however, is that it’s more serious than what the doctor perceives —and, anyway, I’ve been taking aspirin for the past two weeks and it hasn’t helped. Maybe the doctor is dismissing the problem, maybe not. In any event, I owe it to myself to ask further questions or, if I feel strongly enough about it, for a second opinion.

Many people just take the aspirin and hope the problem resolves itself. For some reason, patients can often be hesitant to question a diagnosis or explore other options.

There’s a similar hesitancy when it comes to dealing with hospitals and health insurance companies. Most of us are card-carrying insurance subscribers, and we receive reams of literature from the insurer explaining in minute detail the terms of our coverage. But it might not even occur to us to call our insurer for more information until we receive that dreaded denial of coverage letter. Perhaps some people don’t perceive hospitals’ and insurers’ customer service departments as user-friendly. However, even though we may be referred to in the fine print as “covered lives,” my last brush with a local hospital’s customer service representative was friendly, civil and had a favorable result. I had to “shop around” a bit to find the correct department, but no more so than when I purchased my last TV.

I guess the bottom line is — yes, health care is a business, but we’re all in it together. There are a lot of critical issues facing today’s healthcare providers, insurers and consumers. Here in South Florida, we’re fortunate to have a world-class healthcare community, encompassing physicians, nurses, ancillary medical professionals, hospitals, insurance companies, customer service representatives, and many others. If we include patients in that mix, and make them an important part of the healthcare delivery system, we’ll strengthen the system together. And, ultimately, everyone benefits. Hopefully, South Florida Hospital News’ monthly editorial and advertising content can help us all “shop around” with a bit more knowledge and insight.

My mom passed away last year, but she’d be happy to know her shopping legacy lives on in our new publication. See you next month!

Charles Felix

You can reach Charles Felix at sflahospitalnews@aol.com.