How well do you know your doctor or better yet how well does your doctor know you? These are important questions to ask yourself when choosing a primary care physician. Finding the right Doctor for you plays a huge role in keeping you healthy. By visiting him/her for routine visits as recommended, your Primary Care Physician (PCP) will get to know you, 你的病史和生活方式. 如果你有健康问题, having a doctor who knows your health history often makes it easier and faster to get the care you need. A Primary care Physician offer patients a number of benefits including:

• 改进的诊断 – A PCP sees you regularly and is familiar with your health history so they are more likely to notice health changes. This often leads to better, more accurate diagnoses.
• 更低的医疗费用 – Regularly visiting your PCP for in-network preventative care and urgent concerns helps you avoid costly visits to the emergency room and often means fewer medical visits overall.
• 保持健康 – From help managing chronic conditions to personalized recommendations, PCP可以帮助你改善健康.
• 信任 – It’s natural to develop a relationship with a doctor that you see on a regular basis. This makes it easier to talk about private medical concerns.
• 推荐 – Sometimes you need to see a specialist for more advanced care in a certain area; your PCP can refer you to the right specialist.
• 帮助管理慢性病 – It’s difficult to manage a chronic disease on your own, but a PCP helps monitor chronic conditions. Staying organized and aware of the ways the condition is affecting your body helps you obtain better outcomes.
• 完整的健康史 – Your health history helps doctors catch diseases earlier, provide better overall care or even prevent certain conditions. An ongoing relationship helps build a complete health history.
• 常规检查 – Regular 放映 and tests help detect symptoms early while they are easier to treat and before they lead to debilitating health issues.
• 帮助浏览医疗保健系统 – Healthcare can be confusing and overwhelming for patients. Primary care physicians understand how the system works and help guide patients to the best care possible.
• 连续性 – Seeing the same physician over a number of years gives you continuity of healthcare. This makes a PCP more likely to see how problems are related to or influence one another.
• 更高的免疫率 – A PCP helps keep track of your immunization record so you can stay up-to-date.

Your age and medical conditions usually determine how often you should see your primary care physician. Patients with chronic medical conditions usually have to see their doctor more often. Routine/annual exams are recommended and usually covered at 100% with an in-network doctor. 除了定期的约会, you can and should visit your PCP any time you’re concerned about your health. Most primary care physicians work to accommodate same day appointments for urgent, last-minute needs.

那么，在选择PCP时，你应该注意什么呢?

• 你健康保险网的医生
• Someone recommended by family, friends or co-workers
• A convenient location, perhaps one close to your home or work
• Someone with whom you feel comfortable, who listens to you and cares about your well-being

还有一件事要考虑…….

有时候生病并不方便, so what do you do when you need care quickly and you are not sure where to go? 你应该去急症室还是急诊室?

紧急情况是指出现严重情况. 这通常是生死攸关的情况. Good examples are heart attack symptoms, stroke, or a severe allergic reaction. For emergencies such as this, it is advised to go to the Emergency Room.

If you feel like your medical condition can’t wait until the next day, 急救中心是你该去的地方. Urgent Care providers commonly diagnose and treat colds and coughs, 耳部感染, 轻微烧伤和割伤, 皮疹和其他不危及生命的情况.

非紧急需求, 包括检查, 放映, care for common illnesses and immunizations  visit your Primary Care Physician.

这些服务的护理费用各不相同.  For a more extensive List and Cost Comparison, visit http://www.uhc.com/member-resources/know-your-care-options