If you are facing a situation where you may need to transfer to a different medical provider, or even visit more than one provider on an ongoing basis, you may be worried that your care will be compromised. From struggling to get records transferred to the confusion with insurance, there are many things that can be confusing or go wrong. Here are 10 tips for getting better healthcare when transitioning between multiple providers:
Consolidate Records
Collect and consolidate your medical records from each provider and bring them to your appointments. This can help ensure that all providers have access to the same information and can make informed decisions about your care. If you are receiving ongoing care from multiple providers, you may need to consolidate records after each visit or have the providers regularly send records back and forth to make sure that all people concerned are up-to-date on your medications, diagnoses, and treatment plans. You may need to use an NPI lookup to find your provider’s NPI number and make this process easier.
Communicate Effectively
Effective communication is key when transitioning between multiple healthcare providers. Make sure each provider is aware of your medical history, medications, and any ongoing health concerns. Not only will you need to communicate well, but you will have to continue updating and communicating with all your providers as any changes are made. Each visit will be a chance to double-check that there are no medication or treatment conflicts.
Understand Your Insurance Coverage
Make sure you understand your insurance coverage and any out-of-pocket costs associated with seeing multiple providers. As you will be accumulating multiple bills from different offices and providers, it’s especially important to be vigilant as far as billing, dates, and insurance payouts. It is easy to miss something or forget a deadline.
Find a Primary Care Provider
Having a primary care provider can help coordinate your care and ensure that all providers are working together to meet your healthcare needs. Your primary care provider can double-check that none of your medications are conflicting, that your specialists are still providing the care you need, and help you to find the providers that can give you the best treatment.
Keep a List of Providers
Keep a list of all your healthcare providers, their contact information, and the services they provide. You should also include the dates of visits, jot notes on what was done at these visits such as tests, prescriptions, and treatment plans, and keep a record of bills you have received and payments you sent.
Stay Organized
Keep track of your appointments, medications, and any follow-up tasks or tests that need to be completed. Most people keep track of these things in a notebook or digital calendar. It’s a good idea to keep records and appointment dates in both an online and physical calendar. You can also keep track of your medication renewal dates and when you need to get your refills in the same place. Make sure that you get all your medications in the same pharmacy to make refills easier and as a final check against taking contraindicated medications together.
Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and advocate for yourself. Ask each provider to explain their recommendations and treatment plans in terms you understand. Make sure that you verify their instructions and your treatment plan, and ask them to write everything down for you in case you forget something. If you can never remember your questions while you are in the office, jot them down whenever you think of them so that you can ask them at your next appointment.
Seek out Resources
There are a variety of resources available to help patients navigate the healthcare system, such as patient advocates or care coordinators. These resources may be helpful for you, in finding and securing specialists, keeping your medical life organized, getting transportation to appointments, coordinating between practitioners, and more.
Take an Active Role in Your Care
Be an active participant in your healthcare by following your treatment plan, taking your medications as prescribed, and attending all appointments. If you are not finding the care that you need or you don’t feel comfortable with your practitioner, ask your primary care physician for recommendations on other specialists you may like better. If you aren’t comfortable with a medication that you are taking or the treatment that you are receiving, ask your providers if there are other options or ways to mitigate the side effects and risks. Finally, if something simply isn’t working, say so. Practitioners can’t help you unless they know how you feel.
Stay Informed
Stay informed about your health and any changes to your treatment plan, and keep your healthcare providers up-to-date on any changes in your health status. Read articles and news releases about your conditions and consider asking your physicians about alternative treatments and supplemental strategies that are new or still being researched. Ask if there are herbal or natural remedies that you can try in addition to your regular medications. Make sure you keep up with your appointments and schedule so that you will be informed of any changes that you need to make.
Conclusion
Dealing with multiple healthcare providers and conditions can be scary, nerve-wracking, and frustrating. Staying organized and diligent with your own healthcare, advocating for yourself, and being willing to ask questions when you are confused can all help ease the way through this process.