Prepare Yourself Legally
Depending on the procedure that you’re having done, make legal preparations in advance of your surgery, and consider how you’ll handle the consent forms that you’ll be asked to sign. Consider speaking with an attorney or outlining your wishes regarding everything from organ donation to extraordinary measures in what would be called either a living will or health care proxy. You may also want to assign someone medical power of attorney in the event that you become incapacitated or someone needs to make emergency medical decisions on your behalf while you are hospitalized.
Prepare Yourself Financially
Surgical procedures often come with large price tags. Be sure that you are financially prepared for the expense of the procedure to accommodate for lost wages during days missed from work. You'll also want to manage any additional costs you’ll face after the procedure, including medications, physical therapy, and more. Contact your health insurance provider to discuss your coverage and find out what kinds of costs you should expect to face, including copays and out of pocket maximums, if there are any. Ask your surgeon what bills you should be expecting, and keep in mind that you will likely be receiving separate bills from the hospital, surgeon, anesthesiologist, and others who participate in the procedure.
You should also be sure that you are abiding by your health insurance policy’s terms: some policies require preauthorization from the company prior to having a procedure done; others require physician referrals. Looking into the financial burden of the procedure in advance is a great way to avoid sticker shock when the bills start arriving.
Nobody wants to have surgery, but these helpful hints will prevent you from adding insult to injury.