Health care system seems like mess

Q: Every time I have to interact with my health insurance, a doctor’s office or a hospital, I end up with the nagging feeling that I’m not getting the best care I could be. Why does the U.S. health care system seem like such a mess?

Jess H., Lincoln, Nebraska A: It breaks our heart, but according to a well-done new study in JAMA Internal Medicine, “the U.S. spends more than $3.5 trillion per year on healthcare, 25% more per capita than the next-highest-spending country. However ... compared with countries tracked by the Commonwealth Fund, the U.S. ranks behind every country on causes of preventable mortality that could have been addressed by health system interventions.”

Where does that leave you? With a lot of work to make sure you stay healthy and a lot of work to make sure you’re getting the best care you can.

Fortunately, you can accomplish those things if you follow some pretty straightforward advice. In his upcoming book “The Great Age Reboot,” Dr. Mike predicts that scientific breakthroughs in aging research will help you live 30 years longer and younger. But you need to adopt a great lifestyle to benefit fully from these scientific breakthroughs. So here are four steps to help you regain control of your wellbeing dayto-day and when interacting with the health care system.

1. Follow the lifesaving nutritional advice in Dr. Mike’s book “What to Eat When” and look at OzTube on doctoroz.com (search for “exercise”) for a complete rundown of activity choices.

2. Stay up to date with your regular checkups and vaccinations — don’t put it off.

3. Go to your doctor with written-out questions; take a family member or friend with you so they can ask questions too. Insist on being heard. Never hesitate to go for a second opinion.

4. If you go into the hospital, arrange to have the patient ombudsman talk to you so you know your rights, have an advocate and get answers to questions — especially if family cannot be at your bedside.