You just called to make an appointment with your doctor and found out he is gone - for good! Be it retirement, a move, or change of health plan, choosing a new doctor may be a chore you have to tackle this year. Here are some guidelines for taking the stress out of finding a new doctor.
- What rules does my health plan have in the selection of a physician?
If you are a member of an HMO or Medicare HMO you will need to pick a physician contracted with the plan, one designated as a primary care provider. Those physicians designated as primary care providers for adult members will probably be either family/general practice physicians or internal medicine physicians. Either of these specialists would be a good choice for our general health needs and a good starting point when needing referrals to specialists. Many plans allow women to choose a gynecologist as a secondary provider, ensuring easier access to care.
- What gender are you more comfortable with?
Some people are just naturally more comfortable with a physician of their own sex, or may prefer to have one of the opposite sex. Be sure to ask, if this is important to you as some names, for example "Pat" can cross genders.
- Is the age of your physician important?
You need to have a doctor you can place your trust in. For some that may mean an older, more experienced physician. You can get a good idea of the age of a physician you are considering by asking what year he/she graduated from medical school. Most physicians graduate from medical school around the age of 26 - 28, so you can figure their age from that.
- Are they board - certified in their specialty?
If you are covered under a HMO or Medicare HMO, all physicians contracted are required to be board certified. The advantage of having a board certified physician is that you can be sure they have had additional training in their specialty and that they are completing continuing medical education in order to retain that certification.
- Ask your friends, relatives or co -workers for referrals.
Ask someone you trust about their experiences with their doctor. Have they heard anything about the provider you are considering, good or bad? What do they like? What do they dislike?
- How do they handle after hours calls?
This is usually not a problem in group practices - all of the partners usually take call (HMO's prefer to contract with group practices because they can be more certain their members will not be referred to non contracted providers unless absolutely necessary). It is important to ask this of any physician in an independent practice.
These are just a few of the most important considerations you should have when choosing a physician. You may have other criteria that are important, such as location, office hours, office accessibility or language spoken. The most important thing is finding a physician you trust with your life. If it doesn't work out, don't feel obligated to stay with that physician. The choice is yours.
