How to find a primary care doctor?

[Nick1911]

My company use to offer an on-site clinic for employees.  I used them for my PCP since I started my career.  They were decent, convenient and inexpensive, and as I'm not managing any complex long term conditions, perfectly adequate.  I have one prescription which they manage refills on.

That program is shutting down.  I've been advised that I need to find a new PCP.

So... how does one do that?  How do you find a good one?  How do you sort out if your insurance company will play ball with them?

[RoadKingLarry]

My various insurance providers over the years have all had a "find a network doctor" function of some kind on their websites for as long as I can remember using the internet for such things.
Ask around with family and friends who the use and find one located conveniently to you. Plenty of google search review type options available as well.

I've been with the same "practice" for about 23 years now and have worked with 3 different doctors at the practice in the time period.

[HankB]

First off, ask your CURRENT PCP if he/she has any recommendations. If you've been seeing them for a while, they can probably recommend someone who's decent - or, conversely, someone who isn't decent. So long as they know it's due to insurance/company policy changes, they ought to be glad to advise you. I've been seeing the same doctor here since 1996 and when insurance coverages and networks changed, there was a hiatus of several years where I had to find someone else - my doc was very candid and helpful with his recommendations. (Have to add Let's Go Brandon and <bleep> Obiden Care.    )

I've been back with him as my PCP for several years now and expect to stay with him as my PCP until his retirement . . . which I suspect is approaching. 

Otherwise, basically what RKL said - you should have on-line access to your insurance company, and all the insurances I've had during the last 10 years have had lists of network doctors. In fact, if you go to the "public" side of insurance companies you DON'T happen to be covered with right now, they should still have a list of in-network providers.

And of course, ask around. Recommendations from people I know carry the most weight, but if you want to check out a doctor, you can probably get some info from sites like https://www.healthgrades.com/doctor-reviews

Good luck.

[K Frame]

Your first stop is to, as Larry says, consult with your insurance carrier to find out what doctors/clinics etc. are in your network.

And these days, you go to the web to read reviews for potential providers, and you check with your state's medical licensing bureau for a record of complaints against the doctors you're considering.

I've been with my local practice since sometime in the 1990s. Had a FANTASTIC doctor up until 2 years ago. He retired, moved to another city, and went into part time practice with his son.

I transferred to another doctor in the practice. Nice enough guy, but I'm not grooving to him like I did with my previous doctor. But that could just be the fact that I was really used to my old doctor.

When I blew my knee out last month I grabbed the first available appointment I could with the sports med guy at my practice. I REALLY liked him. But I'm not sure I liked him enough to transfer to him.

[Bogie]

My doctor wears skinny jeans and craft boots that would likely not last a day in the boonies.
 
But he seems pretty decent.

[Kingcreek]

You might want to first consult your village shaman. Kill a chicken, throw the bones and let him read the gut pile.
Finding a new insurance plan or pcp is kinda like that.

My wife and I have about 80 combined years experience working in health care and with insurance.
It is still confusing and complicated. Way too much so.

[MillCreek]

Depending on where you are, the real sticky wicket will be finding a new PCP who is accepting new patients.

[Kingcreek]

Depending on where you are, the real sticky wicket will be finding a new PCP who is accepting new patients.

And god forbid you need to see a specialist. Try getting an appointment in under 3 months…

We have the best health care in the world, delivered by a dysfunctional health care system, and further complicated by an even worse insurance industry.

[sumpnz]

Finding a good doc can be a PITA unless you luck into one early on.  IME about 20% of docs are actually really good.  Maybe half or so are varying degrees of competent and won’t (probably) actively harm you but also won’t go out of their way to actually help much either.  The rest, though, I wouldn’t even let treat an ex-girlfriend’s cat.  And I don’t like cats.

[K Frame]

The doctor will see you now...