Finding The Right Doctor For You

There may be a number of factors that occur causing you to seek out a new physician. Finding a good fit for you and your family can be frustrating, especially if you are new to a community! Asking for recommendations from family or friends is always a good place to start. But, ultimately, it may take a little more digging and experience to find the perfect match.

One of the first things to look at, if you have it, is your insurance. Insurance providers often have a strict network of doctors and specialists that you can see to remain within your coverage. If he or she does not belong to your network, look at how much the cost of care could end up being. You may also want to ask if the office processes insurance claims or if you will have to pay up front and then process the claim yourself for reimbursement.

You will also need to decide what type of physician you are looking for. Do you need a primary doctor or are you needing a specialist? If you have insurance, you will most likely have to get a referral from your primary doctor before being able to see a specialist. Be sure to check with your insurance provider to learn the process so you can avoid major out of pocket expenses.

Once you have determined the cost factor of finding a new doctor, further narrow down the list by looking up online reviews. A quick search can offer you other patient’s opinions and even new stories that may be important. You can even do a search to determine if your potential doctor has ever had any criminal charges or disciplinary action taken against them by the various medical licensure boards. Do a search for your state’s medical board listings or use a site such as Administrators in Medicine (http://docboard.org/aim/) to help guide your search to the right places. This information is deemed public knowledge so you should have no issues finding out what you need to.

Besides monetary and good medical practice issues, there are a few other things to keep in mind when making a decision. Ask the office staff what the typical wait time is to get an appointment. If it’s several days out, you may try finding a doctor or an office that has a quicker turn around. A lot of this can be affected by the size of your town and how many doctor offices are available. While this may not be a major determining factor in the long run, it is definitely information that you should consider in your decision. Are the office staff helpful and courteous? Since you will be dealing with them a significant amount to fill out paperwork, be discharged, and more, make sure you feel comfortable.

Sometimes it may take trial and error and a few office visits to find the perfect medical fit for you. Do your best to research a doctor before making your initial visit. If you do decide that you do not like them for whatever reason, remember that it is your right to choose who is in charge of your medical needs. Don’t forget to take your FreeRxPlus card along so you can save on any prescriptions that the doctor advises you need. Visit www.freerxplus.com to request your free card today!

Back to School Health

Summer has come to a close and school is gearing up to be back in session. Going back to school takes more than just a new backpack full of supplies. Often, hearing and vision tests along with immunizations are needed for your child before they are ever allowed to enter the classroom. But what about what can happen after entering the classroom? School buses, playgrounds, shared computers, and classrooms have billions of bacteria and germs floating around at any given time. The following are some tips to help your child and even yourself at school or work.

The main thing to practice to prevent spread of disease and illness is washing or sanitizing your hands. To make sure you are doing your best to scrub, follow the below steps yourself as well as practice them with your child regularly.

1. Wash your hands in warm water. Make sure the water isn't too hot for little or sensitive hands.
2. Use an antibacterial soap if available and lather up for about 20 seconds. If an antibacterial soap isn’t available, still follow the same steps with a regular soap. Be sure to get in between the fingers and under the nails where germs like to hang out. Don’t forget to scrub up to the wrists.
3. Rinse and dry well with a clean towel or use an air dryer.

Be sure to stress to younger children the importance of washing their hands without having to be told to do so and also the importance of doing so while at school or in public areas. If you or your child are unable to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer. You can purchase small bottles that easily clip on to a purse or backpack.

While you may not always be able to prevent “catching” something, you can help ensure that you and your child’s body has a good line of defense built up with proper diet. Load your children up with plenty of vegetables and fruits that are strong in antioxidants. If you have a finicky eater, try cutting up food into fun shapes or “hiding” it in casseroles. If those options don’t work, you can try making a game out of eating healthy foods. If you are still worried that your children aren’t getting the proper nutrition they need, consult with your doctor about vitamins and supplements you can give to fill the void.

There are other things to keep in mind that are worth talking to your children about. Advise children to look for bite or teeth marks on pencils or pens that they may be borrowing. If they see any of those indicators, politely decline or ask the teacher for a writing device instead. Also make sure they know to never share lip balm, drinks, or candy or food that has had someone else’s mouth on it before coming to them.

Unfortunately you are not always going to be able to stop you or your child’s contact with germs. But by preparing yourself and them, you can start to build a good line of defense for any viruses or communicable diseases that your family may encounter. For those times that your defenses aren’t enough, be sure to visit your family doctor as quickly as possible to attempt to treat the illness so it doesn’t spread to other household members. Don’t forget to take your FreeRxPlus card with you to save on any prescriptions that you may need filled. If you don’t have one, visit FreeRxPlus.com today to print one instantly.

The Dangers of Self Diagnosis

Technology has improved our lives in many ways. At no point in history have we had access to as much data at our fingertips as we do today. We carry tiny computers everywhere we go and have the ability to be connected to any information we could possibly want at any time. The desire to reach our own conclusion about any illness symptoms we may begin to have is further fueled by this fact. With medical sites and public forums available with just a few clicks or taps of the finger, we’ve all found ourselves performing some self-diagnosis. This can turn into a major problem and be detrimental to your overall health and well-being.

By ignoring a medical professional’s advice or not seeking out their counsel whatsoever, you are assuming you know the complete danger of your issue and are aware of any subtleties your diagnosis constitutes. While there are often natural or “at home” remedies available for a great deal of illnesses, modern medicine needs to be involved to help your sickness go away or at least go away more quickly. If you try over the counter medications or other means to cure your symptoms and they persist for more than two days, it is recommended to seek out a professional. If you are on other medications, seeking your doctor’s advice rather than turning to the Internet is especially important and could help save your life or avoid further complications.

Perhaps the most major problem you risk when you self-diagnose is, of course, being completely wrong. Various illness symptoms can often be off by just a few particulars. Without proper testing or further investigation from a doctor or nurse, you cannot guarantee your diagnosis nor can you appropriately treat what it is. Communicable diseases need to be treated especially fast in an attempt to lessen or stop the spread to other people you come in contact with.

The most important thing to remember is to not get too upset or stuck on a diagnosis before seeing a professional. While you shouldn’t attempt to single-handedly diagnose yourself, researching your issues and symptoms may give you a general idea of what to expect and can provide additional information to you and help you prepare questions to ask your doctor. Don’t be embarrassed to let your doctor or nurse know that you did a bit of research. This will help to open up a discussion of your symptoms and what differentiates your illness from others that may be similar at least at a basic level. Be sure to follow your doctor’s orders even if you read something somewhere that offers a different opinion or instructions. After your doctor prescribes you a medication, be sure to show your FreeRxPlus card to your pharmacist so that you can ensure you’re getting the best possible price. Visit our site at www.FreeRxPlus.com now to print your free card.