Family and friends can provide good first-hand experience and advise about doctors that they see and can make recommendations. Or, if you are already receiving health care services from a different type of provider, such as an in home health care agency, they may be able to recommend a doctor that they work with. It is good to have a few options in case some of the doctors are not taking new patients. Finally, if this does not prove useful, contacting a hospital, medical society, physician referral service, or medical schools can lead to more names of physicians. If you use Medicare or Medicaid, you may want to check with your plan’s membership services office to check the list of doctors they provide for.
Typically, senior citizens who seek healthcare will need medical insurance which pays for visits to the doctor or expensive medical treatments deemed necessary by a physician. Medicare health insurance is a government program that most senior citizens qualify for due to their age and limited resources. Senior citizens with Medicare pay a monthly fee in exchange for hospital and prescription drug coverage, however plans will vary by cost, types of coverage, and eligibility. (more…)