Primary care plays a critical role in your healthcare, serving as your main point of contact for all your medical needs. If you do not currently have a primary care provider, establishing primary care should be a priority. It’s important to understand why having a primary care doctor is important, and the process to find one and establish a relationship.
What Is a Primary Care Provider?
A primary care provider is your go-to health care provider for checkups, illnesses, and any medical concerns that you have. Many health insurance companies now require that you have a primary care doctor, who will essentially be the director of your health care, prescribing treatment and medications and referring you to specialists when necessary.
A primary care doctor can be either:
- A family practice doctor, who can care for everyone in your family.
- An internal medicine doctor, who is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses.
- A pediatrician, who can be the primary care provider for your children.
Why is Having a Primary Care Provider Important?
A primary care doctor will have access to your medical records and health history. This can help with diagnosing medical conditions and monitoring you for hereditary diseases or conditions for which you are at risk. They will also have records of all your prescription medications, even those prescribed by specialists, so they can ensure that you don’t have any dangerous medication interactions.
The personalized care that they provide can allow them to detect health issues and conditions early, which can be key to successful treatment. If you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes, they can help you monitor and manage it. They can also provide preventive care including regular screenings for common conditions and administering vaccinations.
They will also refer you to any appropriate specialists, and work with those doctors to manage your care.
Steps to Establishing Primary Care
Establishing primary care involves a few steps.
1. Find Nearby Primary Care Provider Options
Finding a primary care provider takes more than just a Google search to find the closest one. You’ll want to find one that meets your needs, so you should build a list of five to seven options. Your first step should be to check with your healthcare insurance provider. They will be able to give you a list of primary care physicians near you who will accept your insurance. If you do not have healthcare insurance, you’ll want to look for providers who offer low or no cost care, or who offer payment plans. These providers are generally part of non-profit community organizations, such as Health Care Alliance.
In either case, another way to find provider options is to ask family and friends for referrals.
2. Do Some Research
Next, you’ll want to research the options you found. Start by looking at their websites to check their background, services offered, specializations, hours, language accommodations, and anything else that is important to you. Also check their reviews on Google and on sites like Healthgrades or ZocDoc. Don’t just check ratings – read the reviews to see what patients like and dislike about the providers. This can give you a feel for which doctors might be a good fit for your needs.
You can also check your state’s medical board website to see the status of their state license, and any history of disciplinary actions.
3. Narrow It Down
Your research should help you to narrow your list down to two or three candidates. Choose the ones who seem to fit your specific needs in terms of specialization, location, hours, ratings, and financial needs.
4. Make Appointments
At this point, you may have one that seems like the best fit for you. If this is the case, go ahead and make an appointment. You can make the appointment for any medical needs that you have, or just to meet and interview the provider. Either way, you’ll get a feel for how well the provider meets your personality and needs, as well as the office environment.
If it’s not a good fit, or you just want to compare, make appointments with the other providers from your short list.
5. Make Your Choice and Contact Your Insurance Provider
Hopefully, you have made a choice by now. Your next step should be to contact your insurance provider and inform them that that provider is your chosen primary care provider. They will usually send you a new insurance card that names that provider.
6. Establish Your Relationship with the Provider
If you did not do so during any of your appointments/interviews, you’ll want to see your chosen provider to establish your relationship by providing your medical and family history and discussing your specific medical needs. This will provide them with a foundation of information that will guide any future preventive care, and the treatment of illnesses and medical conditions.
In Closing
Having a primary care provider can make navigating your healthcare journey easier and ensure that you are getting the best care possible. At Health Service Alliance, our outstanding doctors are ready to help. We are dedicated to providing compassionate, personalized, and accessible care regardless of your ability to pay. Reach out today to learn more.
