Some insurance companies will assign a primary care physician for you, but you are generally always welcome to choose your own too. These steps will help you pick someone who will be of great service to you.
Make Sure They Accept Your Insurance
Before you begin, check on the intended primary care physician's website to see if they accept your insurance company. That may weed out some offices right away.
Make Sure They Are Taking New Patients
Some offices aren't accepting new patients, even if they do accept your insurance. This is something that you may find on their website's contact page or by calling the office.
Look at Their Capacity
For general care, it may be best to go with a doctor's office that has more than one primary care physician. If you are sick and need an appointment quickly, but your go-to doctor isn't available, this will allow you to still be seen quickly by another doctor without the hassle of transferring medical records and signing up as a new patient with another clinic.
Look at Their Reviews
Doctors get grades, too. There are a couple of sites that grade doctors specifically, but you can also look at the business reviews to make sure that you are dealing with a generally delightful clinic.
Give It a Try
You often have to meet a doctor before you can really know if they are the right fit for you. So consider choosing a doctor that seems promising, and then follow up with a wellness check. You will get a sense of the doctor's skills and personality before you have to rely on them for any major illness. Some things to evaluate are:
- Personality fit: Do you generally enjoy talking to the doctor? Do you have similar communication styles? Do they make you feel at ease or uneasy? If you feel more comfortable with your doctor, you can communicate more efficiently with them about your medical conditions.
- Does the doctor seem empathetic? Do they ask a lot of questions to follow up on any claims you make? Do they take your medical complaints seriously, or are they looking to do triage to get you out of their office more quickly? Do they seem to be doing a thorough job of getting to know you as a patient?
- If you end up needing a referral or follow-up medications, how well do they streamline that process and communicate instructions to you? All of those things will certainly matter in the case of a more grave injury or illness.
Contact a clinic like Rural Health Services Consortium Inc. if you're looking for a primary care physician.
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