Choosing a doctor that suits your family’s needs isn’t always easy. You need to find someone you’re comfortable with and who specialises in what you need. We’ve identified some simple ways to choose the best family doctor and we’ve got a secret tip on how you afford them too!
Choosing a primary care practitioner is one of the most important health decisions you’ll make. This doctor will most likely be with you and your family for years to come so you want someone you can trust and who you’re comfortable with.
Most health insurers have a list of approved doctors that you can choose from but with Oneplan, your options are unlimited. Here’s how you can choose the best family doctor!
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How to find the best family doctor
These are some simple steps to find the doctor you need:
1. Check your insurance
As we mentioned, many insurers have a list of approved doctors that you can choose from. If your insurer is like this, take a look at the list to who suits your family, your location and your needs.
If you’re insured with Oneplan Health Insurance, you have access to any doctor of your choice. Yup, that’s right, we have no list for you to choose from, your options are endless. This means your way of choosing a doctor is a little different.
2. Do some research
There are various places you can look at to find the best doctor for your family. There are a variety of directories such as:
These directories allow you to search by category and location so you can make a list of some of the best options that suit your area. Not only can you use these directories but you can also head onto Facebook and ask community groups in your area for the best recommendations. That way you get recommendations from people who have had experience with those doctors and can offer you a little more insight.
3. Go through your list of doctors
Now that you have your list of doctors to choose from, it’s time to do a little bit of research on them. Google their names, research their qualifications and certification and find out more about their practice.
Take a look at their online reviews so you can see what people are saying about them. These reviews will help you pick up on any red flags or give you insight into what the doctor and their practice do right or where they’ve gone wrong.
Discover: Will my health insurance cover x-rays and blood tests?
4. Consider compatibility
The best thing to do is to get your list down to 2 or 3 of your favourite options. Then, when you need to visit the doctor start with your first option and assess your compatibility.
Feeling comfortable with your doctor is so important. Your doctor is there for you in your weakest points and when you’re most vulnerable so you want to make sure you and your doc are compatible.
When you go for your first appointment, consider some of these factors:
- Does the doctor listen to you without interrupting?
- Do they fully answer your questions?
- Do they explain your diagnosis and treatment, and specify a date for a follow-up visit?
- Do they make you feel like you can trust them?
Things like this will help you understand whether or not this is a doctor you want to go to for years to come.
Why you need health insurance – even for a doctor’s visit
There are many people who question paying a monthly health insurance premium. Often, it seems like it’s just too expensive but trust us, when you need health insurance, you’ll regret not having it. As we always say, “prevention is better than cure!” We’ve listed just some of the reasons you really need health insurance:
- Health insurance covers essential health benefits critical to maintaining your health and treating illness and accidents.
- Health insurance protects you from unexpected, high medical costs (you’re always covered no matter what).
- Not only are your doctor’s visits covered but if you find yourself in hospital, you’re covered there too!
- You get free preventive care, like vaccines, screenings, and some check-ups.
- With Oneplan, we’ll cover your doctor’s visit before you’ve even seen your doctor. Your budget is important to us!
Related: A step-by-step guide to understanding health insurance plans
How you can afford to go to the doctor
With some other health insurers or if you have no health insurance at all, needing to visit the doctor can seem like a stressful and unexpected expense. Some people even try to hold-out and avoid heading to the doctor to save on some cash.
This is dangerous and unnecessary, especially since we’ve created the Oneplan Claim Card. When you join the Oneplan Health Insurance Family, you will receive your very own Oneplan Claim Card. This card is just like a debit card. All we do is preload the funds you need onto it for doctor visit, medicine, and other day-to-day healthcare benefits.
That way you can see the doctor of your choice at any time, no matter what. All you have to do is simply log into the smart Oneplan App. That’s where you can preload your claim in the claims section and we will transfer the funds needed onto your Oneplan Claim Card within seconds!
You can then use your Oneplan Claim Card to swipe at your doctor’s rooms, the same way you would use a credit or debit card. Now, no matter what time of the month it is or how much you budgeted for the month, you’ll be covered for any unexpected doctor’s visit.
Your Health Insurance Family,
Oneplan
