Step 2: Talk to your doctor about cardiac rehabilitation.
Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a medically supervised program to help you recover from a heart attack or heart surgery. Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans must cover cardiac rehab programs, although you will need to pay your usual copay or coinsurance, and meet your deductible. Cardiac rehabilitation also helps lower your chances of having another heart attack or heart problem.
Studies show that women may do worse than men after a heart attack.1 Women may also be more likely than men to feel stress, depression, or anxiety after a heart attack.2 This can make it harder for your heart to heal. People who take part in cardiac rehab programs may improve their heart health and lower their chances of a future heart problem.3 However, women, especially older women and minority women, may be less likely than men to join or complete a cardiac rehabilitation program.4,5
During cardiac rehabilitation, you will do exercises to improve your heart health and will learn about healthy changes you can make at home, such as making heart-healthy eating choices. You may also get brief counseling for stress and to help control other health problems that raise your risk for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Cardiac rehabilitation can be expensive, but the Affordable Care Act requires that most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B, cover most or all of the cost of cardiac rehabilitation programs.