Health Center » In The News » News Briefs 2008

Finding a Physician:

Here are a few ways to tackle the task:
· Some state agencies or state medical associations maintain searchable lists of physicians online.  A Massachusetts Medical Board search found 18 family practice doctors in Amherst, for example.  Unlike many for-profit websites, they don’t charge doctors for listings.
· Hospitals often have physician referral services and can tell you which doctors who practice there are taking new patients.
· Insurers provide books or online lists of physicians who are in the plan – though they may not be up to date.
· Some insurers let women use their gynecologists as primary-care providers.
· Practices affiliated with a medical school may have more openings, because they use residents for some more routine tasks.
· The American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org) has a free service that reports on whether a physician is board certified, which means he or she has passed exams on best practices.
· If you have a doctor you really like, consider paying cash up front and asking your insurer to reimburse you at the out-of-network rate.  Not all insurers will do this; check first to avoid getting stuck with the tab.

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