When a health concern arises, the worry is two-fold: first, about the condition itself, and second, how to effectively access proper treatment and care. Even when you know a great deal about how the system works, navigating the US healthcare system is fraught with difficulty and heartache. The ride through a complicated, fractured, confusing, and dehumanizing healthcare system can be maddening. Medical consumer advocate Joyce Griggs is the developer of www.unitedstatesofhealthcare.com, a resource for patients and their families. We discuss how best to prepare for a doctor’s visit, how to make sure all members of your medical team are on the same page, and how to advocate for yourself. For example, it’s important to take advantage of new transparency laws to price out your healthcare. What to do when hit with insurance denials and sticker shock at the pharmacist? What about the pluses and minuses of telemedicine? Why it can be important to bring someone with you to critical doctors’ visits and to advocate for you during a medical crisis. Joyce shares her own experience dealing with the healthcare system on behalf of a sick relative which prompted her to share lessons she learned with the public.