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Georgia Families Blog

November 30, 2009: Choosing doctors

Woman making a phone call.When you are in a health plan, you choose your own doctor -- called a Primary Care Provider (PCP). If you do not choose, Georgia Families will choose one for you. It's better if you choose! Read more to find out why.

A PCP, or Primary Care Provider, is the person you will go to for regular checkups and other basic health care services. Over time, your PCP will get to know you and your health care needs. Your PCP will also send you to specialists and other health care providers if you need more specialized health care.

Your PCP will manage all your health care needs, and keep your records in one place.  Your children's doctor will help you remember their Health Check visits, and make sure they are on the right track as they grow up.

You might already know a doctor that you like and think is the right fit for you or your children. Sometimes, you can find a good doctor by asking family or friends where they go for health care. Once you find a doctor or clinic that you think might make a good PCP, ask these questions:

  1. "Where is the doctor's office, and will it be easy for me to get there from my home and work?"
  2. "Do I like the doctor, and do the doctor and staff seem professional?"
  3. "Will I be comfortable asking this doctor questions and sharing information about my health?" Or if the doctor is for my children, "Will they be comfortable with the doctor?"
  4. "Does someone on the office staff speak the language that my family uses at home?"

After you find a doctor or clinic that is a good fit for your life and your family, ask which Medicaid health plan he or she works with. If you want to see that doctor, you must enroll in a health plan that the doctor works with.

If you have questions about doctors and health plans, call our call center.

Did this blog help to explain choosing a doctor?  Let us know!  Send us an email at blog@georgia-families.com. Remember that email is not private. Do not send email with personal information in it such as your Medicaid ID number, PeachCare for Kids ID number, or Social Security number.

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