What do I need in an emergency?
If you have recently graduated from high school or college and are on your way into the workforce, you've got a lot of important decisions to make — including figuring out your health benefits options — to keep you feeling and looking your best. allaboutthebenefits.com gives you the information you need to make better health benefits choices.
Emergencies can be scary and confusing, and the last thing you'll want to be doing is searching desperately for your health insurance card. Take a couple of minutes to get your stuff together now and save yourself some stress down the road.
It's a good idea to keep an "emergency file" with your insurance cards and a list of all medications you are taking, chronic conditions, past operations and food and drug allergies. (We know, mom usually handles this stuff, but it's time to cut a couple more ties.) The Personal Health Information Record is a great tool to help keep track of your health history- you should keep it in a folder that you can easily grab on the way out the door if you ever need to visit the ER (knock on wood). If you're feeling really ambitious, you can also include copies of recent laboratory or diagnostic test results, which may reduce both the cost and waiting time in the ER.
Find out if your health plan offers a toll-free advice line for people who need health care after hours. Many plans have toll-free numbers that you can call to speak with a nurse who can help you decide if a trip to the ER is even necessary. Keep this number on hand, or even better — program it into your cell phone.
