Before the Visit
How to prepare to see a new doctor
Nobody reads your chart line by line before you walk in. What a provider needs in the first few minutes, the one thing almost nobody says out loud, and what usually happens next with labs, imaging and referrals.
By Elise Matichak, DPM, MHSA, MSMEdRecording & Consent
Is it legal to record your doctor?
Most states let you record your own appointment. Ten want everyone in the room to agree first, and one just wants you to say so out loud. Every state, the statute behind it, and what to say when you ask.
All 50 states and DCPrivacy & HIPAA
What HIPAA actually covers
HIPAA gets invoked constantly and usually doesn't apply. It binds health plans, clearinghouses and most providers. It doesn't bind you, your employer, your child's school, or most of the apps on your phone.
By Elise Matichak, DPM, MHSA, MSMEdYour Records
How to get a copy of your medical records
You have a federal right to your own chart, and it's stronger than most people asking for it realize. The 30-day deadline, what they can charge, the answers that are wrong, and where to go when a practice won't hand them over.
By Elise Matichak, DPM, MHSA, MSMEdFor Caregivers
What lets you speak for someone else
Being told, getting records, and making decisions are three separate permissions from three different sources. What a caregiver actually needs, what needs no paperwork at all, and what to set up long before it matters.
By Elise Matichak, DPM, MHSA, MSMEdVA Community Care
Why your community care records don't reach the VA
Your VA provider doesn't automatically get the records from a community care visit. The practice has to send them within 30 days, and often it doesn't. What the rules say, why it goes wrong, and what you can do.
By Stephen Matichak, HMC, USN (Ret.)Veterans & Benefits
What a VA disability rating actually means
A rating isn't a finding that you can't work, and 100% doesn't mean totally disabled. It's compensation for an injury on the job, closer to workers' comp than to Social Security. What the percentage measures, and what the confusion costs.
By Stephen Matichak, HMC, USN (Ret.)What these guides are for
Rootwise makes doctor's appointments easier and the instructions clearer. Prepare beforehand, capture what was said, and leave with a plain-language plan you can put on your calendar. Built for veterans in community care, caregivers, and anyone whose care spans more than one health system.
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