Navigating the healthcare world in this day and age can make your head spin. It is hard to understand what to believe and what not to believe since there are so many voices telling you their interpretation of the facts. 

This is why it is important to build a healthcare framework from which to operate. Your healthcare framework will ensure that you get your questions answered so that you can make the best decisions for your health. Building a healthcare decision-making framework is similar to the framework we build for making financial decisions. 

Dr. Bobby Dubois joins me again today for the last episode in the Functional Health to Rock Retirement series to discuss how to approach medical problems both conceptually and with your doctor. You won’t want to miss this important conversation, so press play to listen. 

Building a relationship with your primary care physician can help you feel confident in your healthcare decisions

Whether you are dealing with a small, medium, or large medical problem it is important to ensure that you receive the right care. The right diagnosis leads to the right procedure, but that all begins with ensuring that you have the right healthcare provider. 

Many of us don’t have relational currency with our doctors anymore. Gone are the days of the doctor who has treated us and our family for ages. These family doctors have been replaced by the managed care model. 

Even if you haven’t been seeing your primary care doctor for long, you can try and build a relationship with them that puts them in the quarterback position of managing your overall health care. Listen in to hear how.

If this isn’t a possibility you may want to look into finding a concierge doctor. Concierge medicine is an emerging industry that may be beneficial to retirees. For an extra yearly fee, these doctors offer personalized care and direct access since they limit their patient load.

Use a systematic way to build a healthcare decision-making framework

We all want to embrace life physically for as long as possible; however, at some point in our lives, we are all going to face medical challenges. How you choose to confront those challenges could be critical to overcoming them. This is why it is important to have a framework in place for dealing with health issues. It is important to approach medical problems in a systematic way so that you can organize your decision-making.

Building a strong framework starts with asking the right questions

To ensure that you get the right care you must be more than just a passive patient you need to be an active consumer that asks the right questions. 

Rather than creating a list of 100 questions, try to boil them down to 2-4 questions. Understand that doctors operate on a tight schedule, so it can be helpful to let them know that you have questions in advance. You can do this by sending them an email or handing your typed questions to the nurse at the beginning of your appointment. This way you are being proactive yet respectful of their time.

After receiving a diagnosis ask your doctor these questions:

• How long will it last?
• How severe is it?
• How resilient am I?

After discussing treatment options you can ask these questions:

• Why do I need this (procedure, surgery, medication…)?
• What happens if I don’t do it?
• Are there alternatives?
• What are the risks associated with this treatment?
• What is the (out of pocket) cost? 
• What are the costs of the alternatives?

Asking your doctor, how often do you see this? can help you to decide whether you should get a second opinion.

Remember when putting together your framework for answering questions that a good theory is not evidence. Make sure that there is evidence that the treatment will work. A great question to ask is what is the evidence that supports this theory?

The journey of rocking retirement starts with your feet–take that baby step in the right direction now to continue toward your goal of rocking retirement.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

PRACTICAL PLANNING WITH DR. BOBBY DUBOIS

• [4:06] How to approach medical problems with your doctor
• [12:25] Ensure that you get the right treatment
• [19:43] Questions to ask to build a framework
• [25:50] Randomized trials vs observational studies
• [31:12] A case study to understand how to talk to your doctor
• [40:02] A summary of functional health to rock retirement

LISTENER QUESTIONS

• [43:33] How to characterize home equity in planning
• [49:27] On using an advisor for money management vs. keeping assets in a 401K

COACHES CORNER WITH KEVIN LYLES

• [56:47] 4 questions to consider to 

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

• [1:10:30] Brainstorm a few of these steps to integrate into your life

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Galleri Cancer test

Oura Ring

WHOOP

Dan Miller 48 Days to the Work You Love

BOOK - Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley

BOOK - The Expectation Effect by David Robson

Andy Panko at Tenon Financial

LTCI Partners

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center