NMPI Blog

How to Advocate for Yourself in the Healthcare System When You Have Chronic Pain Navigating the healthcare system as a chronic pain patient can feel overwhelming, but being proactive and informed can help you receive the best possible care. Advocating for yourself ensures that your concerns are heard and that you play an active role

You should know and understand your insurance policy. What is your insurance company? What is your in-network policy – deductible, copayment/coinsurance, out of pocket maximum? What is your out of network policy – deductible, copayment/coinsurance, out of network maximum? Are your doctors in network or out of network?   If you’re seeing an out of

Claims are generally automatically submitted by doctors and hospitals within your network. However, if you’re seeing an out of network provider, depending on their office policy, they may not be able or willing to submit on your behalf. Therefore, you would have to submit the claim directly with your insurance company for reimbursement. Every insurance

  I am often asked what insurance policy they should look to purchase when coming to our office. Because our office doesn’t participate with any insurance policies, patients are often looking for the best coverage and where they will receive the highest reimbursement.   My answer used to be well, do you work for New

You are eligible for Medicare benefits if you are 65 or older or are disabled. There are various “parts” of Medicare coverage.   Part A: This is your hospital coverage. This is currently available for free to all Medicare beneficiaries. There is a $1676 deductible per year (as of 2025). Part B: This is your

More terminology: EOB: This stands for Explanation of Benefits. Once you see a doctor, a claim is submitted to your insurance company for payment. You will get back documentation, called an EOB, that explains how the claim for the visit was processed, and who received payment for what. They will tell you each line item

Your insurance policy can be divided into medical (doctors, hospitals, etc.) and pharmacy plan/benefits. So you might have a deductible for medical and a separate deductible for pharmacy. Sometimes it’s the same (especially if it’s a high deductible plan). You will have separate deductibles and out of pocket maximums for in and out of network

Let’s start with some basics: Basic Plan Terminology Plan Year versus Calendar Year: Your plan will reset every year. The date of the reset can vary. Plans that reset on a calendar year will always reset on January 1. Plans that work off a plan year will reset on the date that the insurance policy

Many patients suffer from dehydration or imbalance of electrolytes, causing symptoms of dizziness and fatigue. This can be related to dysautonomia, EDS, POTS, or another diagnosis.   Patients will require varying doses of electrolytes, so please contact your healthcare provider to make sure you’re taking the right amount!   We do not promote any single

Please see an interview with Dr. Norman Marcus and Jay Gill, discussing the use of low dose naltrexone for treating chronic pain related to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).    

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a connective tissue disorder that affects skin and joints between bones. The most common type of EDS is hEDS or hypermobility EDS. People with hEDS are usually more flexible or bendy than the average person. Being able to do a split, being able to bend your thumb back so it