Congratulations on taking the first step on your journey to becoming Empowered! Within just the first few chapters, you will begin to feel Empowered! to take charge of your health and healthcare plan. Why does it resonate so? Because you'll finally hear your voice--that of the patient and the caregiver whose cries for guidance, strategy, and tools are finally heard and answered. Know that: You can take control of your healthcare situation. You can make the healthcare system work for you, not against you. You can conquer confusion, fear, and intimidation and achieve peace of mind. What you'll learn in this book will change the quality of your life--in sickness or in health. Empowered! can cut the patient learning curve down from years down to days, or even hours. This awareness tool gives you the language you need and the framework you can use to extract the most value possible from the healthcare system. Just knowing that much can change your experience for the better and sometimes even the outcome of your care. You'll learn: The profile of an "empowered patient" The difference between curing and healing, and how you control the healing process How to climb the "resilience ladder" How to negotiate medical bills, pay for services and procedures, navigate insurance, and much more... And for the really motivated among you, you'll understand that Empowered! is the first stage of a much more robust training program offered through The Smart Patient Academy (TM) called The Opportunity Coach. (TM) The "Opp Coach" is the training system that will turn you into a High Performance Patient or High Performance Caregiver in bite-sized stages. Relax, Listen, and Play. You are now in the driver's seat. This is your life. Make is a work of art.