Regular preventative care for children is a subject that is often overlooked, but it is very important to talk about. Before your baby is even born, you should have chosen a physician who will be responsible for maintaining his or her regular, comprehensive care. There are many factors to consider when you are looking for the perfect physician for your child. Here are some pointers to help make the process of finding the best child physician in San Diego a bit less overwhelming.
Qualifications
The number one most important thing to find out before you even consider a child physician is their qualifications. When you are searching for the best person to care for your little one, look beyond their education. Question their experience. Any great physician understands the worries of parents and should not mind you asking such questions as how long they have been practicing and which age groups they work with most often. Make sure you feel completely comfortable with the physician before you choose them to be the primary care provider for your child.
Similar Beliefs and Values
It is important that you see a doctor who shares similar views on how to go about caring for your child. For example, if you believe in more holistic methods of health care, you will not be happy with a physician who doles out medication before addressing more natural ways to cure an ailment. Brainstorm your most important values regarding your feelings about health care and come up with a few simple questions to ask the physicians you are considering. It is important to be able to work well with the child physician you choose.
Insurance
Once you have found a handful of physicians that you feel comfortable with for your child, it is time to focus on yourself. The next factor to consider is whether the practice will accept your insurance plan. You will also want to find out the answers to such questions as whether they take up front payments or will bill you after going through your insurance provider, and their payment procedure for follow-up visits.
Other Factors of Importance
After you have considered the most important factors of qualifications, beliefs, and billing, and have narrowed your top choices for the best San Diego pediatrics doctor down to just a few, it’s time to focus on all the small details of the practice itself. Contact the Children’s Primary Care Medical Group to find out answers as to the hours of the office and whether they will be able to assist you in cases of after-hours emergencies. If not, you may want to consult with your insurance company to see whether there are local urgent care clinics or hospitals where your plan will be accepted.
