Five Tips for Choosing a New Doctor

Julie Bitely

| 3 min read

Choosing a primary doctor is one of the most important decisions you can make when it comes to managing your health care. Your primary care doctor is your medical “home.” It’s the doctor you’ll see most for everything from routine wellness visits and screenings to non-emergency illnesses. It’s also the person you’ll see when you have a health question or concern. If you have an HMO plan, your primary care doctor will also be the person who refers you to specialists if you need one. You want someone you’re comfortable with and someone with expertise in the areas that meet your health needs. Here are five tips to consider when you’re choosing a primary care physician: 1) Make sure your new doctor is in-network. Most health plans have negotiated special, discounted rates with certain doctors and hospitals in your area. You’ll pay less to see those doctors, called in-network for insurance purposes. 2) Find a doctor with expertise that meets your health needs. Narrow down your in-network options by specialty. You can choose from family practice, internal medicine, or general practice. Family medicine and general practice practitioners treat patients of all ages, from newborns to adults. Internal medicine internists are trained to identify and treat adult and geriatric medical conditions. If you’re looking for a doctor for your child, you might want to choose a pediatrician or an internal medicine doctor who specializes in pediatrics. 3) Get referrals. You might feel more comfortable visiting a doctor who is recommended by someone you know. Ask around to see who your family, friends, and co-workers visit. If you’re moving, you can ask your current doctor if he or she has a recommendation for your new town. 4) Think about logistics. It makes sense to find a doctor close to where you live or work and one who has office hours that work around your schedule. You’ll also want to check into the hospital the doctor admits patients to in order to determine if that makes sense for your life. If you’d prefer a doctor who has an online patient portal for communicating, you’ll also want to ask about that when you’re shopping around. 5) Meet the doctor. An office visit and face-to-face meeting can help you make sure you’re comfortable with your choice of doctor. Do you like the office, the physician, nurses, and staff? Make sure the doctor is someone you’d feel comfortable discussing your medical history with and that you’re on the same page when it comes to managing any chronic conditions. If you’re a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan or Blue Care Network member, you can also use the Find a Doctor feature on the BCBSM app to narrow down your search using a variety of criteria. It’s important to officially declare your primary care doctor with your insurance company. If you're a BCBSM or BCN member, you can make an appointment with your primary doctor online through bcbsm.com, or you can call the number on the back of your insurance card or on your Explanation of Benefits statement. If you have questions, feel free to reach out through our Customer Action Center. This blog post was adapted from a post originally published on the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's blog. If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

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17 Comments

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Sandra Hexner

Sep 21, 2017 at 8:12pm

Thanks for the great information to find a doctor in my area. I haven't been to the doctor in ages and thought it was time to go and make sure that everything is okay. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it, but I really appreciate that you suggested referrals. You are right that I would feel a lot more comfortable with them if I knew that they were referred by a friend or family member. http://www.wvmc.com.au/

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Blues Perspectives

Aug 29, 2017 at 1:53am

Thanks for your feedback, Deb! We’re glad we could be of help. Best, Taylar

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Deb Pearl

Aug 28, 2017 at 5:03pm

We just moved into a new town and I do not know how to find the right doctor for our family. I didn't think about actually visiting the doctor if we weren't sick, even if we can only see the staff. That is a great idea. Thanks for the advice! http://www.ecmedicalarts.com/services.html

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Sandra Hexner

Jun 20, 2017 at 8:11pm

Thank you so much for all the tips on finding a new doctor. I want to be sure to get the best care, but it's hard to find the right person. I just moved to a new area and I'm not sure how to even look for the best clinic for me. Of course I want to find a doctor in my in-network, but your point to make sure they are close to my home and work, is really on point. My time is valuable and if my doctor was out of the way, I would most likely not want to go. Thanks for the tips. http://medicalcentre291.com.au/general-health/

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Lillian Schaeffer

Jan 20, 2017 at 6:00pm

I like how you mentioned getting referrals when looking for a new doctor. My husband and I recently moved into a new area, and we need to find a good general physician to take care of our family. Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to some of our neighbors and new friends to see if they have any recommendations we can look into. http://www.pain-ptc.com

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