| When you move to a new town, you need to | | | | have your medical records faxed to the new |
| find a local doctor. An out-of-town physician won't | | | | practitioner as soon as you've found him or her. |
| be there when you need them. | | | | That way, with the doctor's simple request, your |
| When an individual or family moves to a new | | | | medical records will be ready to ship via fax or |
| location, there are a lot of things they need to do | | | | snail mail. |
| in order to settle in, including finding a local doctor. | | | | - Get recommendations: Ask your new neighbors |
| Moving can be both an adventure and a period of | | | | and co-workers for a referral for a good |
| readjustment. The exciting parts include checking | | | | physician. Word-of-mouth referrals are excellent |
| out the neighborhood and the surrounding region's | | | | ways to gauge a provider of quality. Another way |
| landscape. New restaurants cooking up local | | | | to gain referrals is via online doctor review |
| cuisine, different parks where the children can | | | | websites. These sites will offer reviews from past |
| play, unique styles of architecture, museums to | | | | patients about everything including the doctor's |
| discover and much more are waiting to be | | | | bedside manner, promptness, expertise and skill |
| explored. A whole different world awaits us when | | | | level and even a bit about the quality of the office |
| we move. | | | | staff. Online reviews are the next best thing to |
| The logistical settling tasks include unpacking the | | | | word-of-mouth recommendations. |
| boxes, enrolling the kids in a new school, tracking | | | | - Call your insurance company: A good way to |
| down a new hairdresser, dentist and physician. | | | | obtain a listing of physicians in the area who will |
| One of the more challenging tasks is to find a | | | | accept your family's health care coverage is by |
| local doctor. Here are some things to think about: | | | | asking the insurance company. The insurance |
| - The old one won't work: If you think you can | | | | company representatives will want to know your |
| just keep going for your annual physical once a | | | | zip code and what type of specialist you're looking |
| year when you visit your old hometown for the | | | | for and in return they'll send a list of practitioners |
| holidays, think again. If a patient wakes up with a | | | | in your region that you can check out. |
| fever and sore throat, breaks their leg or | | | | - Go to their website: Many medical practices |
| develops a suspicious looking rash, they aren't | | | | have websites talking about their specialties, the |
| going to be able to travel back to obtain | | | | doctors that are on staff, their hours, location and |
| treatment. Going to the local emergency room | | | | insurance acceptance policies. This is a good way |
| lacks the personal touch and is frowned on by | | | | to get some names of physicians to check into. |
| insurance companies. A doc in your new | | | | Once a family has moved in, unpacked, found a |
| hometown will be able to provide prompt health | | | | local doctor, dentist, hairdresser, enrolled the kids |
| care. Find one before you need them. | | | | in school and checked out the community flavor, |
| - Be ready to ship records: Before you leave your | | | | they can feel like they've finally made it home. |
| old physician's office, sign consent paperwork to | | | | |