From Cut health care costs, stay informed, and score free gear with these helpful money-saving secrets!
Co-Pay AssistanceIf you have health insurance and suffer from certain life-threatening or debilitating diseases, you may be eligible for financial assistance to help offset out-of-pocket treatment expenses. The Patient Advocate Foundation recently began the Co-Pay Relief program for patients with autoimmune diseases, diabetes, macular degeneration, and certain kinds of cancers. Other medical conditions are likely to be covered in the future. To find out more about the program, call toll-free 866-512-3861, or read about it at www.copays.org. Telephone counselors will help you apply.
Diabetes Check-up Wallet Card
Keep track of test results and other personal information. Print out the card at www.diabetes.com/diabetes_management.html. You may want to cover the card with clear packing tape or have it laminated at a copy shop or printer.
Free Diabetes Library Box
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases publishes a set of 10 brochures called the Diabetes Library Box, which covers such topics as diabetes medications, eating and diabetes, and care of the feet, heart, eyes, kidneys and other parts of the body that can be affected by the disease. To order a Diabetes Library Box, go to the NIDDK website and click on "Diabetes Materials." A single copy is free; each additional set costs $10.
Free Info to Help Kids with Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association’s cleverly designed Wizdom kit makes juvenile diabetes a little less daunting. The free kit contains one book for kids and one for parents—each filled with information on managing this chronic disease. Click here to order the box. The organization also offers a free e-mail newsletter for parents.
Medical Reference for Free
Not only can you go online to consult the 1900-page Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Home Edition for free, but the Internet version actually gives you more than the printed-and-bound behemoth: audio, video, animations, and photos. The online manual is also updated more often.
Free Medical Info from Uncle Sam
Up-to-date medical information is yours for free on the "fab four" government websites. The Centers for Disease Control gives data on infectious diseases, while PubMed is a medical research database providing free summaries of articles in professional journals. Healthfinder not only offers a drug database, a chronic disease library, directories of organizations and providers, and online checkups, but also 12 weekly newsletters -- a great deal. MedlinePlus features a medical encyclopedia and dictionary, interactive tutorials, videos of surgical procedures, news highlights, and resource lists.
Free Pedometer
Walking 10,000 steps a day is a popular goal these days -- and deservedly so. Especially if the walks are brisk (or stairs are involved), all that movement will boost health. Recording the number of steps you take every day can turn plain old walking into a delightfully motivating game. Most people use pedometers to do the counting. As part of the "My Hear Now" program, pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer is giving away a free pedometer to anyone who participates in a survey on heart health. Answer their questions at myheartnow.com -- then start your walking program even before your pedometer arrives.