• American Board of Internal Medicine
  To find out if your doctor is board certified, use the "Verify a Physician's Certification" tool in the lower left corner of the homepage.

• Family History (using the tools in the left-hand column can help your doctor predict the disorders to which you may be at risk and take action to keep you and your family healthy)

• American Board of Medical Specialties Certified Doctor Verification Service

• Google Health (organize your medical records online)    
  Keep your clinicians up to date about your health while gathering your medical records from various doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies. All you need to do is set-up a Google email account and you are ready to begin.  It's safe AND secure!
  Click Here to take a quick tour and find out more!

• AMA Physician Select

• Health A to Z e-Mate Personal Health Records Organizer

• ChoiceTrust Credential Verification most services are free

• Health Privacy Project

• Federation of State Medical Boards fee-based services

• National Standards to Protect the Privacy of Personal Health Information

• HealthGrades Physician Section most services are fee-based

• PersonalMD.com

• King County Medical Society Find a Physician

• Protecting the Privacy of Patients' Health Information

• Medical Quality Assurance Commission of Washington State

• Your Health Record

• State Medical Boards

• States Board of Medical Examiners

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• Advance Directives state specific / may be called Living Wills or Medical Powers of Attorney

• American Association of Health Plans

• Checkup on Health Insurance Choices

• Ask Me 3
  (Every time you talk with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, use the Ask Me 3 questions to better understand your health)

• Choosing a Health Plan

• Choosing a Doctor

• Choosing and Using a Health Plan

• Choosing a Doctor and Hospital

• Choosing Long-Term Care

• Choosing a Doctor from the National Institute on Aging

• healthinsuranceinfo.net

• Communicating with Your Doctor: The PACE System

• Health Insurance Terms

• Doctors, Specialties And Training (becoming a fully trained physician)

• Health Plan Report Cards

• Handbook for Mortals: Talking With Your Doctor

• Insure.com

• How to Choose a Doctor?

• MCOL Managed Care E-Dictionary

• How To Choose (And Get Maximum Mileage From) Your Primary Care Doctor

• Medicaid

• Talking With Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People (most information applicable for everyone!) 

• Medicaid Resource Book from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (describes how the Medicaid program operates -- who it covers, what it covers, how it is financed, and how it is administered)

• Talking With Your Doctor: An Online Guide Helping Seniors Talk To Their Doctor 
  (Tips include how to prepare for a doctor visit, what information to provide and how to understand what the doctor says.)   

• Families USA's Medicaid & SCHIP Action Center (keeps you updated on the rapid legislative changes affecting this program) 

• Questions Are The Answer : Do You Know the Right Questions to Ask?  
  • Build Your Own List of Questions

• Medicare

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• Medicare Rx Drug Plan Part D (Resources To Information Helping You Make Senses Out Of It)

• Medicare Rights Center (when you get to their web site choose the Medicare Basics link at the top of the page, then you can select topics from the sidebar on the left of the screen)
  • Medicare Interactive (MI) Counselor provides timely information to help you learn the ins and outs of Medicare  FREE Registration Required    

• American Hospital Directory

• Medicare Watch from The Century Foundation (puts the ongoing Medicare debate into plain English)

• Choosing a Hospital

• Patient Rights and Responsibilities

• Directory of America's Hospitals (a collaboration of the American Hospital Association and U.S.News & World Report)

• Patient Rights To Care and Care Refusal

• Health Grades Hospitals Section most services are fee-based

• Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care

• Hospital Compare
  Created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other organizations to provide you with information on how well the hospitals in your area care for all their adult patients.

• Hospital Transparency   
  The Washington State Hospital Association provides hospital-specific data on pricing; quality indicators; and answers to common questions about hospital bills

• Health Insight: A Consumer's Guide to Taking Charge of Health Information 

• Hospital Web 

• HONcode Principles; Code of Conduct for medical and health web site

• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) (choose Quality Check)

• Internet Detective: an interactive tutorial on evaluating the quality of Internet resources (requires free personal registration)

• Leapfrog Hospital Quality Ratings rates hospitals on a number of high-risk procedures   

• Quackwatch 

• U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals 2007 

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• DISCERN reliable way of assessing quality of written information on treatment choices  
  • DISCERN Instrument 15 key questions plus an overall quality rating
  • DISCERN Handbook ensures users are able to understand and apply the instrument effectively

• Your Hospital Stay    Consumer Reports lets consumers compare how intensely hospitals treat patients with certain serious chronic conditions, based on data from the Dartmouth Atlas Project.

Pharmaceutical Patient Assistance Programs

• NeedyMeds.com

• RxAssist

• National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center
  • Locate Regional Ombudsmen and other state resources
  • Find Your State Ombudsman

• Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA)

• Consumer Consortia on Assisted Living
  • Consumer and Caregivers Frequently Asked Questions

• RxHope

• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)
  • AAAs/Title VI Agencies — Government — Other Organizations
  • Eldercare Locator

• LongTermCareLiving.com
  • Planning
  • Preparing
  • Paying

• Home Health Compare (Provides detailed information about Medicare-certified home health agencies that were certified as of January 2003)
• Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home

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