I have a confession to make: I don’t have a doctor. I had a doctor when I was a kid and my parents would take me to appointments, because they did all of the legwork and figured out the doctors I was supposed to visit. But, now that I’m on my own, I’m just not going to the doctor because I don’t have one.
I have health insurance through my school, and I take care of myself by eating right and exercising. But I feel a little weird about the fact that I don’t have a doctor. I know I should have one, but I really don’t even know how to go about getting one! I didn’t grow up here, and I don’t know any local doctors or anything like that. I have no idea what to do to get a doctor, and I could really use some advice.
We all want to stay healthy and live long, happy lives. We strive to eat well and exercise, and we should always see a doctor when we’re injured or sick. But treating issues as they arise isn’t enough to protect our health in the long run. We should also be visiting our primary care physicians regularly.
Think of your body like a car or other machine. It needs repairs when it’s broken, but it also needs maintenance and tuneups. When you invest in regular care, experts can spot small problems before they become big ones. Sometimes, a potential problem can be identified before it even exists. But for all of this to happen, of course, you’ll need to visit a primary care physician regularly. So that’s your next step: you need to get one, and you need to make this a priority.
Fortunately, it’s not too tough to get yourself a primary care physician. In fact, your health insurance company has likely already assigned you one, whether you realize it or not. You should be able to contact your health insurance company to choose or change your primary care physician.
Your health insurance company may have a list or searchable database of doctors in your network in your area. That’s not a bad place to start, so check out your options and remember that you’re looking specifically for a primary care provider. Of course, you won’t be able to tell much about the doctors from just their names. That’s why it’s worth checking out doctor review sites. Read various doctor reviews written by patients on health care-specific review websites like HealthSoul. Then you can make an informed decision on which doctor you should book an appointment with.
Once you have a primary care physician, you’ll make your first appointment. From there, your doctor will help you schedule follow-ups and annual check-ups. They can also refer you to specialists and others. You don’t have to stop here! You can and should keep looking into quality healthcare options. Consider choosing a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist to meet with regularly. And familiarize yourself with local hospitals and emergency healthcare options.
If you read up on hospital reviews and check the news for hospital-related stories, you’ll get a better sense of which hospitals are the best in your area. That can be invaluable knowledge when you’re injured or dealing with an emergency. Heading to the right hospital can make a huge difference in the outcome of a medical emergency. Knowing which hospitals are the best in the area can also help you identify great doctors working out of those hospitals, and it makes choosing the right hospitals for scheduled in-hospital procedures much easier.
None of this is tough to do. Thanks to the internet, this kind of information is at our fingertips. So read up on the healthcare options available in your area, and gain knowledge that will help you enjoy superior healthcare.
