Having a positive relationship and rapport with your doctor is one of the most important aspects of your medical care. If you are not happy with your doctor or with your medical team and you want to make changes, you might be unsure of how to do that.
Today we are going to try to answer your most pressing questions about how to change doctors and what you should know if you want to do that.
What Happens If I Don’t Like My Doctor?
It is very important to understand that you can change doctors any time that you want to. Your primary care physician is the most important member of the medical team that takes care of you. If for any reason you are not happy with this person or do not feel comfortable with them, it is absolutely alright to make a change.
If you have serious concerns or think there is a safety issue, you should report your problems to member services right away.
If you like your doctor but do not agree with how the medical group they work with operates, you might check to see if the doctor works with other medical groups. In this case, changing the medical group but keeping the same doctor might be more ideal. On the other hand, if you simply don’t have a good rapport with the doctor but like the staff and other specialists, you may want to see if there is another primary care physician you can see within the same medical group.
How Do I Change Doctors?
Always remember that you can change your primary care physician at any time and for any reason. If you do not already know of a new doctor that you would like to start visiting, you can always call one of our local Medicare agents to help you find a new doctor.
Whether your new primary care physician is in the same medical group or if they are part of a different medical group, you will need to call member services to update your change. The change will then take effect the first day of the following month.
Make sure you are on the lookout for a new, updated card with the correct information. You should receive it in the mail in about seven to ten business days after changing your doctor.
What If I Receive a Change Letter?
Sometimes you will no longer be able to see the primary care physician that you have been seeing. This can happen for many reasons. Sometimes it is because of retirement, the doctor relocating or them changing medical groups. Whatever the reason may be, here is what you need to know if you find out that your primary care doctor is changing.
Changing doctors should not have to disrupt your medical care. You will want to communicate with the new office and make sure that your medical records are transferred, that they are aware of any specialist care that you may be receiving and that they are aware of any procedures that you already have scheduled.
Member services will send you a new card with the correct information about your new doctor on it. If you have any concerns don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions. Also remember, if you don’t like the new doctor you can always change doctors and find a doctor that you are happy with visiting.
Get the Most From Your Medicare Annual Notice of Change Letter