President's Blog

​Last week, the AOA released results of its recent survey on patient health care spending. Like me, you probably won’t be too surprised to hear that three out of 10 respondents admitted to skipping visits with their primary health care provider to save money. As osteopathic physicians, we know how difficult it can be for our patients to afford proper health care and preventive care is often the first thing to be cut from the budget.

To combat this trend, the AOA, with the help of AOA Media Spokesperson, Matt B. Ajluni, DO, put together a Savvy Patient Checklist. The checklist features questions patients can ask their physician, insurance provider, and employer that could help in reducing health care costs, like asking about generic drug alternatives or free prescription samples. The checklist also includes resources people can utilize to stay healthy, including health calculators, food and exercise logs, and potential sources to obtain health insurance.

I’d like to thank Dr. Ajluni for assisting in getting this important information out to the public. If you would like to join the AOA’s Media Spokesperson’s Network, please fill out this form. The AOA depends on members like you to serve as health experts when the media calls. It is just another way you can help promote our great profession.

Marty