Dr. Mike Roizen here with a tip about prescription drugs that will help you stay younger. Generic drugs cost a fraction of the named brand versions and they're very much like the real ones. Here's what you should know about them, they're strictly regulated by the FDA the active drug involves the brand-name version and the generic version must be the same. 

How the generic medication is absorbed and how soon it's delivered to where it's needed in your body must be bio equivalent to the brand name drug. They are usually a third of the brand price that's because the manufacturers of generic drugs don't have to earn back the expense of research and development. 

When possible choose a generic drug that's made by the same company that makes or made the brand-name drug. However if you're taking a drug that requires very precise dose control, a generic medication's equivalent status may not do the trick for you, this problem is common with thyroid medications. 

Bottom line pay attention to how you feel if you don't think the medication is doing what it's supposed to, call your doc for more ways to that being a smart patient can help you stay younger, watch all of our health tips right here. 
   

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Why I Care: Dr. Darria Long Gillespie

I think that if they're informed, they're going to take better care of themselves, they're going to understand what doctors say. I would say you nail one of the most difficult issues not only in medicine, it's everywhere. We as a community have to learn how to communicate well. It's not only that I tell you something, I want to make sure you understand, and I might want to make sure I understand what you tell me, I've got to listen to you. 

So both listening and telling in a way that assures that there's been engagement is critical and I think you're going to see a move more and more towards that. It's collaboration, that the sectors are collaborating. 
  

Do You Encourage Patients to Do Internet Research?

When actress Rita Wilson was told she had breast cancer in 2015, she made a personal decision to publicly reveal the news of her diagnosis, <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/cancer/breast-cancer/what-you-need-to-know-about-having-a-mastectomy">double mastectomy</a>, and reconstructive surgery. What really made headlines, however, was that her cancer was detected only after she sought a second&mdash;and then third&mdash;opinion on her biopsy results.

Wilson is in good company. It&rsquo;s not uncommon for people to find their diagnosis changes after seeking additional input. For example, one 2017 study of 286 patients at the Mayo Clinic found that 21 percent of those looking for a second opinion received an entirely new diagnosis. Another 66 percent had their existing diagnosis refined.

Given the value of early detection in cancer and other conditions, you may be wondering: When should I get a second opinion?

When to seek a second opinion 
Many experts recommend getting a second opinion when the stakes are high. &ldquo;And that doesn&rsquo;t have to be cancer,&rdquo; says Keith Roach, MD, associate professor in clinical medicine in the division of general medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital. You may want to get a second opinion before undergoing routine surgery or taking a course of powerful medications.

&ldquo;The importance of a second opinion is two-fold,&rdquo; explains Dr. Roach. &ldquo;The more important reason is to avoid an error in diagnosis and to ensure proper treatment. The second reason is to provide a level of comfort and certainty to the person who is looking at the upcoming medical procedure.&rdquo;

Pathologists and radiologists are experts at interpreting the results of cancer tests, but they&rsquo;re not infallible. That&rsquo;s why most healthcare providers (HCPs) agree that getting a second opinion is reasonable and do not get upset by a cautious person seeking them. &ldquo;Double checking the pathology in the very first place before treatment starts can make a significant difference in terms of the outcome,&rdquo; says Dr. Roach.

Michael Roizen, MD, Sharecare advisory board member and chief wellness officer at Cleveland Clinic, agrees. He says whether you&rsquo;re looking at a mammogram, a pathology specimen or the <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/drug-information/do-need-an-antibiotic">need for antibiotics</a>, many times the diagnosis and/or treatment changes with a second opinion.

In cases where the first and second medical opinions are at odds, &ldquo;keep on going until you get consistency,&rdquo; Dr. Roizen says. &ldquo;We get very difficult cases here [at the Cleveland Clinic]. In fact, sometimes we get patients seeking fourth and fifth opinions. And if we still don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s wrong, we&rsquo;ll say, look, we don&rsquo;t know, but this is what treatment we&rsquo;re going to try at first. If it doesn&rsquo;t work, we&rsquo;ll go another way.&rdquo;

How to get a second opinion 
Once you&rsquo;ve decided to seek another provider&rsquo;s point of view:

<ul>
	<li>Get a specialist recommendation from an HCP, health insurance provider, or the hospital or other medical facility where you were treated.</li>
	<li>Make sure your insurance plan will cover the second appointment.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Ask that your medical records be sent to the second provider, request a copy to bring with you, or make sure you can access them electronically.</li>
</ul>

After your visit, request that your second provider send all relevant information back to your primary provider. Then, speak with your primary HCP about the opinions&mdash;together, you can determine the best path forward.

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How Do I Know Which Type of Life Insurance Is Right for Me?

Life insurance is an important way to provide protection for your family. However, it&#39;s often misunderstood, and misconceptions are plentiful&mdash;including that it&#39;s expensive and difficult to purchase. But once you have a basic understanding of what life insurance is, how it works and the two main types of life insurance, you&rsquo;ll be on your way to providing protection and financial security for your family.

What is life insurance? 
<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/video/health-topics-a-z/financial-health/how-do-i-know-which-type-of-life-insurance-is-right-for-me">Life insurance</a> is a contract between you and an insurance company where you make a monthly or annual payment&mdash;the premium&mdash;and the insurance company pays a specified amount of money&mdash;the death benefit&mdash;to your beneficiaries when you pass away.

If you have people who depend on your income, like underage children, a spouse or elderly parents, then life insurance is imperative. You should also consider life insurance if someone would incur additional costs if you pass away (like childcare for example). The money obtained from a policy can help your family pay their regular monthly bills, your children&rsquo;s future college tuition or for your funeral expenses and outstanding medical bills. In some cases, people decide to purchase a policy when a major life event takes place&mdash;like getting married, buying a home, starting a business or having a baby&mdash;but life insurance can be purchased at any time.

In fact, the sooner you buy life insurance, the lower your monthly or annual payments will likely be. Other factors that determine the cost of life insurance are your health status, medical history and driving record. Smoking status is also a large determinant of your payments, with non-smokers generally receiving significantly better rates.

While historically, purchasing life insurance required medical exams and blood testing, this is often no longer the case. In fact, for relatively healthy individuals, many insurance companies offer a benefit of up to $1 million without a medical exam or blood test. For larger policies or for people with extensive medical histories, a medical exam can still be required.

Two basic types of life insurance 
The <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/financial-planning-health-care/what-different-types-life-insurance">two main types of policies</a> are term life insurance and permanent life insurance.

Term life insurance offers a cash payout if you pass away during a specific period of time (for example, 10, 20 or 30 years); you pay via a fixed monthly or annual premium during the term of the policy. Term insurance is a viable option for covering specific costs such as a mortgage or college education. Often times, insurance companies will allow you to convert your term policy into a permanent policy for a specified period of time after purchase.

Permanent life insurance offers lifetime protection with a cash payout at the time of death, regardless of when that is. It often includes a cash account value that you may be able to access while you are alive, which has the ability to grow, similar to money in other investments (mutual funds, or bonds). Your monthly payments may be fixed or they may be flexible depending on the type of policy you choose. Permanent life insurance is a viable option for people looking to pass money on to their family after they pass away, or for people concerned about paying for funeral costs or medical bills at the time of their passing.

Some employers offer life insurance as a benefit to their employees. While this is generally temporary&mdash;good only while you are employed with the company&mdash;it may be wise to take advantage of this benefit, as the monthly payments may be offset by your employer. But if you have family who is dependent upon your income, additional insurance, outside of work is generally required. Life insurance can be purchased online, over the phone or from a licensed financial professional.

Health care