Many people stay with their current doctor just because it can be so difficult to find a new one. It is tough to finally nab an appointment with a new physician. All the transfer of records and then waiting a couple of months before a time slot opens up can test anyone’s patience. But it could well be worth it if you find a doctor you can believe in. Here are a few key items you should look at if you are considering changing up your physicians.
Works Well with Your Insurance
Doctors are expensive. If a practice does not fully accept your health insurance, then it is time to move on. No matter how great a doctor is, if the bills aren’t being covered mostly by insurance, there is no way most people will be able to afford them.
Does Not Make You Wait
It is quite common to have to wait in a doctor’s office. Most people just accept it and don’t complain much if the wait is not more than twenty minutes or so. But when the wait time is much longer than that on a consistent basis, then it is very evident that the office does not value your time. Finding a doctor that is prompt and running efficiently will keep you happy. After all, nobody wants to spend more time at the doctor than they have to.
Reads Records Closely
We all take about a half an hour or more when filling out our paperwork at the doctor’s office. Trying to remember every little thing about our past medical history and writing it down for the doctor and nurses to read takes a good chunk of time. Because of this, there is nothing more frustrating than filling out all of those papers and then they don’t bother reading it over. When the doctor asks questions to us when we just spent all that time writing down our life story, it should send up red flags that they have other things on their minds besides our health.
Find a Specialist
Rather than seeing a general physician or family practice doctor for a specific issue, skip the middle man. They would just end up writing you a referral anyway to a specialist and charge you money to do so. For example, make an appointment in a private gynecology clinic in Montreal if you are a woman and in need of a specific exam. Save your time and money by finding the right doctor that can take care of your needs.
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