Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor...
I've recently come to realize that I need to go to a doctor. That used to be such a simple concept. I'd tell my mom I'm not feeling well and she'd take me to our family practitioner. Easy enough, right? Everything seemed so simple back then, but I'm just starting to realize the headache that goes into finding a doctor.
There are doctors for everything; some specialize, others are general practitioners. Some can cross between the two, but if you need mental help, there are limited options. How does one judge a doctor by the picture on his/her website? How do you know they can provide exactly the right treatment, especially when said website is incomplete (I'm looking at you, Washington Hospital.)
Then, there's the question of insurance.
Do you have insurance? Yes.
ORLY? What kind? A PPO.
What kind? I just told you.
Oh, but didn't you realize there are different types? Um, no.
Bummer for you. Here's lots of paperwork to read through to discover what your plan does and doesn't cover. But I don't understand any of this!
No matter, go ahead and go to a doctor and then we'll let you know if you're covered or not. PS You're probably not.
So that got me to thinking: how does one exactly find a doctor? How did you, my lovely flist, come to be patients of your doctors? Have you known them since childhood? Were you referred by friends/family? Or did you take a giant leap into the dark? Any help would be greatly appreciated because right now I'm at a complete loss.
There are doctors for everything; some specialize, others are general practitioners. Some can cross between the two, but if you need mental help, there are limited options. How does one judge a doctor by the picture on his/her website? How do you know they can provide exactly the right treatment, especially when said website is incomplete (I'm looking at you, Washington Hospital.)
Then, there's the question of insurance.
Do you have insurance? Yes.
ORLY? What kind? A PPO.
What kind? I just told you.
Oh, but didn't you realize there are different types? Um, no.
Bummer for you. Here's lots of paperwork to read through to discover what your plan does and doesn't cover. But I don't understand any of this!
No matter, go ahead and go to a doctor and then we'll let you know if you're covered or not. PS You're probably not.
So that got me to thinking: how does one exactly find a doctor? How did you, my lovely flist, come to be patients of your doctors? Have you known them since childhood? Were you referred by friends/family? Or did you take a giant leap into the dark? Any help would be greatly appreciated because right now I'm at a complete loss.