Find a Physician - Know Your Resources Before You Search

If you need a new doctor, you are probably anxious to get one as soon as possible since it is important to always have access to great medical care. If you do not know where to start, know that there are tons of free resources available to you that can help you find a physician. Get started on your search by learning the most basic places to look. 

Most insurance providers offer a listing of doctors near you. Just go to the website, open the directory, and put in your address. You should come up with a list of various options, with the ones closest to you coming up first. If you need a specialist, you can usually add that necessity to the search so that it is narrowed down a bit. If you take this route to find a physician, you can typically get the basic information right away, too, such as whether the doctor is accepting new patients and what other languages he speaks. 

If you do not have insurance, or your provider does not have a doctor directory, you can still use the internet to find a physician. There are free directories online that offer the same information as many insurance companies, allowing you to quickly get a list of offices near you. Some also offer reviews by patients so that you can get an idea of whether it is worth it to check out a particular practitioner. Use this free resource before you visit any new medical office. 

You can always use the old-fashioned way of opening the phonebook to locate a doctor near you. You should be faced with several pages of results, so you may have to look over the book closely to locate what you need quickly. The downside is that you will not have access to reviews like you might online, but you will still get the basic information that you need to contact the office. You may also see full-page ads that provide details about the office, which can be helpful before you make an appointment. 

If you are ready to find a physician, you should take advantage of the various resources available to you for free. Using them will ensure that you at least have a list of physicians to begin researching. This way, you are likely to find a new practitioner as soon as possible so that you can begin receiving excellent care.