Have high medical bills? Read our previous blog posting "Lower Your Hospital Bills", then write to us by leaving a comment and we will try to help.
Sincerely,
The Patient Protectors
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Finding A Good Doctor
Having access to "insider information" about a particular physician is the best way to know if they are someone you can trust to take care of you and your family. That means knowing a medical professional who works along side a physician who can attest to their credibility. Unfortunately, most people can't get that type of inside scoop. But, maybe you can.... If your primary care physician (PCP) has personal knowledge of a physician's work, he or she may give you all the info. you need for a successful referral. If not, or if you are looking for a PCP, you can still do a little detective work to get an inside scoop. Start asking family and friends if they know a nurse, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physician, etc. who may know a particular doctor. Maybe they know someone who knows someone..., and so on. I'll bet you can uncover a trail leading to someone who has, or can get, insider information about any doctor in your area. If you've tried and failed to get a personal reference about a physician, or if a the doctor you are researching is out of your area, then you need to do a little leg work (or, should I say, computer work).
Get on line at http://www.google.com/ and search for the state board of medicine web site where a particular physician practices. Just search for "pennsylvania state board of medicine".for example. Then, look on that site for a link allowing you to verify their license information. The link may be titled "verification" or "license verification". You can search by the physician's name and location. This will tell you if they have a license to practice in your state and if they are in good standing with the state board of medicine. You can also look for a link to a list of physicians who have had disciplinary actions taken against them by the board. You may also find this information by reviewing the state board's newsletter which may also list disciplinary actions taken against doctors.
Next, you should make sure the physician you are investigating is "board certified" in their specialty. This doesn't refer to the state board, but to the national board that certifies physicians in a particular field of medicine or surgery (i.e., "The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons"). Again, go to Google at http://www.google.com/ and search "orthopaedic board certification" or "hematology board certification", for example. You can search for a physician by name and location. It is in your best interest to see physicians who are board certified in the specialty that relates to the care you need.
After searching for professionals to give references on a physician, verifying a state license in good standing within your state and checking for national board certification in their specialty, you should ask around to see if you know any of this doctor's patients. Common sense would tell you if a physician is right for you by the way they are treated.
Once you have found a physician, you must continue to investigate him/her. Ask questions to find out if this doctor is right for you (listen to that gut feeling) and your health condition (does he/she treat your type of health problems on a regular basis, etc.). If it doesn't seem right, move on and continue the search for a physician who is right for you.
If you are looking for a specialist to treat a condition, but don't know what type of doctor would be appropriate, just ask your PCP or refer to the American Board of Medical Specialties at http://www.abms.org/ for more info.
It is up to you to do your homework and be an informed consumer when it comes to your health care. Don't shop for bargains. Remember, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
Sincerely,
The Patient Protectors
Get on line at http://www.google.com/ and search for the state board of medicine web site where a particular physician practices. Just search for "pennsylvania state board of medicine".for example. Then, look on that site for a link allowing you to verify their license information. The link may be titled "verification" or "license verification". You can search by the physician's name and location. This will tell you if they have a license to practice in your state and if they are in good standing with the state board of medicine. You can also look for a link to a list of physicians who have had disciplinary actions taken against them by the board. You may also find this information by reviewing the state board's newsletter which may also list disciplinary actions taken against doctors.
Next, you should make sure the physician you are investigating is "board certified" in their specialty. This doesn't refer to the state board, but to the national board that certifies physicians in a particular field of medicine or surgery (i.e., "The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons"). Again, go to Google at http://www.google.com/ and search "orthopaedic board certification" or "hematology board certification", for example. You can search for a physician by name and location. It is in your best interest to see physicians who are board certified in the specialty that relates to the care you need.
After searching for professionals to give references on a physician, verifying a state license in good standing within your state and checking for national board certification in their specialty, you should ask around to see if you know any of this doctor's patients. Common sense would tell you if a physician is right for you by the way they are treated.
Once you have found a physician, you must continue to investigate him/her. Ask questions to find out if this doctor is right for you (listen to that gut feeling) and your health condition (does he/she treat your type of health problems on a regular basis, etc.). If it doesn't seem right, move on and continue the search for a physician who is right for you.
If you are looking for a specialist to treat a condition, but don't know what type of doctor would be appropriate, just ask your PCP or refer to the American Board of Medical Specialties at http://www.abms.org/ for more info.
It is up to you to do your homework and be an informed consumer when it comes to your health care. Don't shop for bargains. Remember, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
Sincerely,
The Patient Protectors
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