Have Your First Visit With Your New Provider
At your first visit, youll review your medical history, discuss your current medications and conditions and explore your health concerns.
As a primary care provider, if a patient has already been under someone elses care, its nice to know what focus they want, says Nadkarni. I like to ask, What did you like about your last provider? What did they do well? That way I, as a provider, can know what you are expecting. What are you expecting, what are your fears, what do you want me to do for you? Its just setting mutual expectations. And, as a doctor, I like to know what my patients communication style is.
Nadkarni recommends that you ask as many questions of your new provider as you need. Interview your doctor you want to see if you develop any rapport. Dont be afraid to ask your doctor questions. There are good studies that show that patients who ask more questions are more engaged and have better outcomes. As a physician, I like it when a patient asks me questions.
Not comfortable enough to ask questions? Take it as a sign, Nadkarni advises. You want to be with someone who makes you comfortable asking questions.
How To Change Pcp On A Texas Medicaid Card
If you have Medicaid in Texas, then you have the option to choose your PCP, or Primary Care Provider. Your PCP is the health-care provider you see most often, such as your family doctor. Medicaid policy in Texas does not cover office visits to a provider who is not your PCP, unless your PCP is closed at the time that you need medical care. If you are not satisfied with your PCP in Texas, you may request a PCP change up to four times a year.
Research health-care providers in your area. Texas has a searchable database of health-care providers that accept Medicaid at the website of the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership. Find a provider that is close to your home or work. Make sure to call the provider and confirm that they are accepting new patients.
Confirm that your medical records were sent to your new PCP. This is usually automatically done by your old PCP, upon Medicaid informing the PCP that they no longer may claim you as a primary Medicaid patient. Inform your new PCP of any medication that has been prescribed for you or that you are taking, including over-the-counter medicines.
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Texas Medicaid will cover emergency medical care such as ambulatory care or Emergency Room visits, even if not provided by your PCP. Texas Medicaid policies also cover visits to specialists if referred to by your PCP.
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Get Your Medical Records
Obtain either paper or electronic copies of your medical records. You could also have them sent directly to the office of your new provider. Be sure these include the results of any lab work, imaging or other tests youve had. Its a very straightforward process, just a signature on a form, says Nadkarni.
Youve visited several different providers during your life how far back should you go? It depends on the level of complexity of the patient and what problems they have, states Nadkarni. If the patient is relatively healthy, I barely need anything as long as the patient can relay their basic information. Its important for me to know their major medical problems and any major surgeries they may have had. I definitely want to know what medications they are taking, and a good family history is important as well. I dont need to know every tiny detail.
What if you cant get your medical records? Nadkarni says not to worry. Having a good knowledge of yourself and your medical history is most important. If you can tell me you have high cholesterol but not the actual number, thats OK, were going to wind up checking it and seeing where you are at that time anyway. Knowing your allergies and knowing your medications are probably the two most important things. I can pretty much piece together a lot about your medical history based on the medications you are on.
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New Primary Care Provider Change Request Form For Members In Managed Care Prepaid Health Plans
In collaboration with primary care providers , the NC Medicaid Managed Care Prepaid Health Plans have created a new standardized PCP Change Request Form for members who wish to change their primary care assignment throughout the year. A link to each health plans form can be found here:
As a reminder, beneficiaries can change their PCP/Advanced Medical Home without cause twice each year.
Below are the different ways beneficiaries can change their PCP/AMH:
- Beneficiaries can select a PCP/AMH at application, recertification or through choice counseling with the Enrollment Broker when they change a health plan.
- Once assigned a health plan, beneficiaries should contact their health plan to change their PCP/AMH using this form or by calling each plans Member Services directly. Contact information can be found in the Member Handbook on the Health Plan Contacts and Resources Page.
- Beneficiaries can change their PCP or health plan at any time over the course of the year if they have care or quality concerns. This is known as a change with cause. This PCP Change Request Form should not be utilized to process with cause member requested changes. Those with cause requests should be processed by calling each plans Member Services directly.
Take Time After Your First Appointment To Reflect
Review the conversations you had with your new provider and carefully think about the following:
- Did this provider give me clear answers to my questions? Did they make sure I understood?
- Did this provider listen to my concerns?
- Was this provider courteous and respectful?
- Was I comfortable during this visit? Were efforts made to make me feel comfortable?
- Did this provider make any similar missteps as my old provider?
Remember to keep in mind any other questions that may be important to your PCP experience.
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Tip : Consider Medical Needs
In addition to asking physicians basic questions, prospective patients must consider their medical needs prior to choosing a new PCP and how the physicians answers will affect the quality of care. For example, patients with chronic conditions that require regular care and support may abstain from physicians with limited schedules and hours, whereas patients with fewer health concerns may not need to prioritize physician availability. The team at migra-medicaid-guide.mufr.techopg.com recognizes the value of PCPs for maintaining good health and advises you to select physicians who offer comprehensive care.
How To Change Doctors: 5 Helpful Tips For A Smooth Move
Sometimes, whether we plan to or not, we have to stop visiting our current primary care provider and begin seeing a new one. You might have moved to a new area. Your insurance company may no longer partner with that particular provider. Your provider may retire or move away. You may feel that your provider doesnt communicate well or you may never have fully felt comfortable with your current provider. Or, you may simply be unhappy with the service youve received.
Whatever the case, there are a few things to remember about how to change doctors. We spoke with Mohan Nadkarni, MD, who gave us some tips for a smooth transition.
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Visit Your Primary Care Provider
See your Primary Care Provider every year for an annual wellness checkup. This helps prevent health problems. The wellness checkup gives your PCP a chance to find health problems early, when they are easier to treat. These appointments can help you and your PCP to get to know each other.
If you need to change or cancel your appointment let your doctor know as soon as you can. It is best to call at least 24 hours before the appointment. Do not just skip an appointment. If you need to change an appointment, call the doctors office as soon as you can. They can make a new appointment for you.
What If I Want To Change My Primary Care Doctor
Once you choose a primary care doctor, changing to a new primary provider is typically a matter of filling out a change form online with your insurer or calling member services.
Do I need a primary care doctor for my Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan?
Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans help cover your out-of-pocket costs with Original Medicare. Once Medicare approves payment for a medical service or device, your plan pays your share of the deductible or coinsurance amount based on plan benefits.
Note that Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans only work with Original Medicare. You cant buy Medigap if you have Medicare Advantage. Your benefits also dont cover your expenses with a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan.
Finding a good primary care doctor can help you get the best care for your health needs. If youre unsatisfied with your primary care doctor, finding a better one for your needs might be a good investment in your long-term health.
To find a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan or a Medicare Advantage plan in your area, enter your zip code on this page.
Medicare information is everywhere. What is hard is knowing which information to trust. Because eHealths Medicare related content is compliant with CMS regulations, you can rest assured youre getting accurate information so you can make the right decisions for your coverage. Read more to learn about our Compliance Program.
Find Plans in your area instantly!
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How Do I Choose A Primary Care Doctor
Most Medicare Advantage plans publish a directory of network providers including primary care doctors. You can often get information about the doctors credentials, areas of practice, and even patient reviews from your plans directory. If the information you want isnt available through the insurer, check the providers website to learn more about the doctor and practice.
You can also visit the Federation of State Medical Boards and search a doctor to see his credentials and find out whether there are any actions against him. Your state medical board may have additional information about any potential malpractice claims.
There are also third-party doctor review sites such as HealthGrade.com and RateMDs.com and Yelp where patients can leave reviews on primary care doctors they like or dislike.
Primary Care Provider Responsibilities
- Make sure you get all medically-necessary services when you need them
- Follow-up on the care you get from other medical providers
- Make referrals for specialty care when needed
- Give ongoing care you need
- Keep your medical record up to date
- Keep track of all the care you receive
- Give services in the same manner to all of their patients
- Give you regular physical exams as needed
- Give preventive care visits
- Discuss what advance directives are and keep them in your medical record
- Treat you with respect
- Offer the same appointment availability to all patients
- Review all of your medications and dosages at every visit
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Looking For A New Pcp
Use our Find a Doctor tool to look at our provider profiles and schedule an appointment with our Primary Care team.
If youre not sure youre happy with the answers to these questions, you dont need to make a firm commitment. Just like people you meet in a crowd, youre going to get along better with some people and not others. You dont have to commit to them for life, laughs Nadkarni.
Continue to search for a new provider if you arent satisfied. Making the switch shouldnt leave you with the same problems you had before, or give you a new set of problems. Although it may take a little time, having a great relationship with your doctor gives you a valuable reward: continued good health.
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Manage My Medicaid With Healthy Connections
Healthy Connections is the Idaho Medicaid program that helps participants connect with a Primary Care Provider or clinic who will coordinate their healthcare needs.
- Your PCP will coordinate your care, including giving referrals to other providers to allow medically necessary services to occur.
- Healthy connections follows a fixed enrollment process
- You will stay enrolled unless you qualify for a reason to change.
- You can change for any reason during Open Enrollment every July and August.
Refer to the Idaho Health Plan Booklet for more information on Healthy Connections. If you need additional information you can contact Healthy Connections at 888-528-5861 or by email at .
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Look For Your New Provider Before Leaving The Current One
Before formally ending your relationship with your current doctor, take time to find new candidates. You dont want to be left without a provider should you need one.
First, consider what you need from your PCP. What sort of things do you want help with? Do you have particular conditions that you need to know how to take care of? Or are you mainly there for preventive health? prompts Nadkarni.
Ask your friends, family members or other folks about the healthcare providers youre considering. Ask for recommendations. The best resources are friends who are using that doctor. Ask what they like about the provider, says Nadkarni.
Your current provider could also give a recommendation. Absolutely, states Nadkarni. Im happy to provide recommendations based on folks I know. And its a very reasonable question, particularly if youre leaving the area, to ask your doctor, Knowing me as a patient, who might you recommend?
Check the hospitals where your potential providers are affiliated. Each hospital has its own directory of physicians, reminds Nadkarni. From that list, you can ask folks about doctors and see what responses you get. A similarly useful tool is the American Medical Associations DoctorFinder. This online directory provides information about nearly every licensed physician in the U.S. To help with your decision, you should review the list of healthcare providers connected to your current health insurance.
Primary Care Provider Practice Reassignment For Some Beneficiaries
In preparation for NC Medicaid Managed Care launch on July 1, 2021, NCDHHS is working with primary care providers and other stakeholders to ensure that PCP practice assignments most accurately reflect existing provider-patient treatment relationships. As a result, NCDHHS has implemented a PCP practice reassignment process to better match beneficiaries to the PCP with whom they already have an active relationship with. This will help ensure the best health plan is selected during auto-enrollment. The PCP practice reassignment process occurred March 20 and 21, 2021, and impacted only beneficiaries who have not visited their current PCP in the last two years and have an active treatment relationship with a different PCP. These beneficiaries were reassigned to the PCP with whom they are currently receiving care. This change affected approximately 150,000 beneficiaries. New ID cards will be mailed to beneficiaries early April. The ID card will include the beneficiarys new PCP.
Beneficiaries who may want to change their PCP assignment should contact their Department of Social Services caseworker who can reassign the beneficiary to the correct PCP. Beneficiaries can also call the Medicaid Contact Center at 888-245-0179 for assistance.
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How About Doctor Ratings
You may also consider checking out a physician rating website, like HealthGrades, to review patient comments. However, Nadkarni cautions against only using these ratings to make your choice. You never really know why someone may be unhappy with their provider. But, they can be useful if you see comments like, This doctor doesnt communicate well, and its a repeated theme. If its just one comment, I dont think thats indicative of the whole practice.
Be sure to consider other aspects of visiting this provider, such as travel time and scheduling policies. Find out the best way to access this physician. Is it through phone, email or MyChart? says Nadkarni.
In fact, you may want to visit your new provider before entirely ending your relationship with the old one. Nadkarni encourages people to take their time. Its so there is easy transfer of records and results its important.
Do Keep Your Er Summaries
However, Nadkarni does recommend keeping a summary of your emergency room visits. Oftentimes, its helpful for me to know if youve been to the emergency room, to know what theyve done. There is usually a handout they give you when youre discharged from the emergency room. Its helpful to keep those.
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Schedule One Last Visit With Your Current Provider
During this final visit, you should discuss your health conditions, medications and any other concerns with your provider. Take notes. This will give you a snapshot of your current health for your new healthcare provider.
However, if a final visit isnt possible, or youre leaving your provider because youre unhappy, this step isnt necessary. And, its up to you if you want to discuss your reasons for leaving with your provider. It doesnt have to be a confrontational thing, says Nadkarni. Sometimes, youre just not as satisfied as you would like or youre looking for something different.
Tip : Search For Available Physicians
Selecting a new PCP is similar to finding your original PCP. You may utilize online guides to help you search through Medicaid databases to determine which physicians accept Medicaid coverage. Calling supplemental insurance providers permits you to find in-network PCPs who will provide the most affordable care. The team at migra-medicaid-guide.mufr.techopg.com suggests questioning your previous PCPs or other physicians to see which physicians they recommend. Insurance companies may also be able to provide invaluable information and resources for you to use. This searching method will speed up the search process and allow you to make informed decisions regarding your new PCPs.
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