Reasons to Have a Primary Care Doctor

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If you are like many people in the United States, you do not have a primary care doctor. A lot of people think they do not need to get regular physicals every year and do not think much about going to a physician unless they are concerned about health insurance for family care. Adults understand the importance of taking their kids to the doctor every year but do not always see the value in doing it for their own health. Here are some reasons to go to a family doctor for regular check ups:

1. They can keep you healthy. You may be healthy now but the best way to stay that way is to go to your doctor every year. That allows them to get to know you and for you to get to know them. They can often find problems when they are small. Small health issues do not always go away on their own. They are more likely to grow into larger problems. Going to your doctor on a regular basis is the best way to nip problems in the bud.
2. They can answer your questions. There are a lot of things that can be handled by a primary care doctor. Their office can handle minor procedures such as stitches and can be there when you have questions about the care you need and what the other members of your family need as well. The more you see the same doctor, the more of a rapport you will build and the better your relationship can be. Also, they will get to know you and can see what is normal for you in terms of your blood pressure and weight.
3. They can help with chronic conditions. If you do suffer from any chronic condition such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure, you will be better served going to a primary care doctor to help you manage those conditions. They can be a great resource for information and get your the medication or make the lifestyle changes to keep you as healthy as possible.
4. They can help you set a good example. If you have a family and have health insurance for family care you want your kids to not be afraid of going to the doctor. Many adults find the process of going into the family health clinic scary and they pass that fear on to their kids. When you go in for your yearly physical, you show them that there is nothing to be afraid of.
5. They can tell you when you need to go to the hospital. There are times when you or your family become ill or injured over the weekend or at night. In those instances, you may not know where the best place is to go for your health care needs. Do you really need to go to a hospital emergency room or can you get away with an after hours urgent care or medical walk in clinic? There are times when your urgent care needs are not real medical emergencies. When you have health insurance for family care, you can call your doctor’s office and get their opinion about where you need to go for care. The urgent care facilities are great but some problems are better treated at the hospital.
6. They can be the quarterback of your health team. Most people, with and without health insurance for family care, will need to see a health care specialist at some point in their lives. The vast majority of people will need more than one specialist. When you need to do this, your primary care doctor can be very helpful. They can get you information on specialists in your area. They can also act like the quarterback of your health care team and will coordinate your care with the other medical professionals you are seeing. This can help keep things simple and make sure your various treatments do not interfere with each other. This can be very important if you are taking multiple medications.

There are good reasons to have health insurance for family care and for going to see doctors before you need one, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.