As a person living with SCI, it is important that you exercise your rights to:

• Maintain and improve your own health and that of your own family and community
  
  
• Access information that enables you to make knowledgeable choices for your health practices including:
  
  
  1. Choose your doctor
  2. Choose suitable and appropriate health insurance
     
     
     • Understand types of health insurances
     • Know what services and conditions are included, excluded, limited
     • Know steps to assure your ability to have rights and needs met
       
       
  3. Make selections to foster a healthy lifestyle that include:
     
     
     • Quality care choices that promote disease prevention and reduce risk of secondary conditions, provide interactive checkups, support your caregiver needs
     • How to recognize quack providers and scam practices [see appendices]
     • Mechanisms and processes for reporting product and provider complaints
       
       
• Achieve a relationship, as a person with SCI/D, of mutual understanding with your insurance company supported by:
  
  
  1. Copy of your insurance company's booklet of a full and detailed explanation of benefits
  2. Designated claims advisor, benefits provider, or case manager as your representative within the insurance company; this person should understand your particular needs, become an advocate for you and be the person with whom you will interact whenever you have an insurance issue.
  3. Opportunity to educate your designated insurance representative about the health care needs of the person with a SCI/D. (Teach this person the risk factors for the secondary complications of spinal cord injury, necessary measures to preserve the health and integrity of your paralyzed body and importance of immediate access to insurance and health care professionals)