Moving is a physically and emotionally exhausting process that can take its toll on your body and your nerves. Even if you’ve hired professional movers to take some of the stress and hard work out of your relocation endeavor and followed our expert tips on how to stay healthy when moving, you still need to take care of your well-being after the big adventure is over – eat well, get plenty of rest, relax, engage in enjoyable activities, etc. And don’t forget to find a reliable health care provider in your new city either.
Even if you’re in good health and don’t expect to need a doctor any time soon, it’s important to find a good primary care physician in your new area shortly after the move – before a health issue occurs. Having an established family doctor will give you peace of mind and will expedite your treatment and recovery in case of an emergency or unexpected illness.
But how to find a new doctor when you move? Choosing the right doctor for you is not easy – you need to pick a knowledgeable, experienced, and trustworthy professional that understands your unique health needs and can help improve the quality of your life.
Here is how to achieve this and find a good doctor near you after moving:
Ask for recommendations
The best way to find a good doctor in your new area is to get recommendations from someone you trust:
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Your current primary care physician
The easiest way to find a skilled and reliable family doctor after your move is to simply ask your current primary care physician for advice and recommendations.
There is a good chance that your present doctor is familiar with the best medical practitioners and top-rated health care providers in your new city (they may even know personally some of the physicians in your future area) and can recommend a few good doctors there.
Even more importantly, your doc knows your specific heath needs and can recommend the right specialist for you or give you advice as to what kind of physician you should be looking for.
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Family and friends
Another good way to begin the hunt for a new doctor is to ask family members and friends if they know of a good physician in your new area. Be sure to seek the opinion of the locals too – you should be able to get a lot of useful recommendations and warnings from coworkers and neighbors in your new city.
Good to remember: While word of mouth recommendations are an excellent way to find a good doctor when you move, have in mind that every person has different health needs, so a doctor that is the best choice for a friend of yours may not necessarily be the right one for you. So, no matter how highly recommended a doctor may be, be sure to research their education and level of expertise to determine whether or not the physician is suited to your needs.
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Nurses and other medical workers in your new area
Nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare professionals in your new city can be a great source of valuable information – they work with various local doctors on a daily basis and are well familiar with the competences and personalities of different primary care physicians in the area. Their recommendations can point you to the right family doctor for you.
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Reviews from current or former patients
It is advisable to join local forums or visit specialized doctor review sites before your move to find out how happy other people in your new city are with their physicians, what kind of care they have received, what kinds of experiences they’ve had with the doctors, etc. Reading reviews will give you a good idea who the reliable physicians in the area are and which ones to stay away from.
Good to know: Many regional magazines release an annual list of the top-rated doctors in the area. You can use these lists to find out who the best physicians in your new city are, but keep in mind that well-known doctors’ schedules fill up fast and you may not be able to get an appointment for weeks or even months.
Conduct an online search
There are plenty of online resources that can help you find a good doctor near you when you move house. All you need to do is research the databases of specialized websites like the American Medical Association, Healthgrades, Doctor Directory, and others that provide rankings and information about all health care providers in the country and display a list of doctors in your area.
You can use the DoctorFinder tools on these sites to find out about a doctor’s specialty, education, and board certification, office hours and accepted insurance providers, etc., as well as to sort and filter physicians by your personal preferences until you find the doctor who’s the best match for your specific needs.
Another useful thing to do when looking for a new doctor after moving is to visit the websites of primary care physicians in your new area – you’ll find a lot of important information about the doctor’s specialty and qualification, the services they provide, their office hours, etc. and will be able to get a feel for how the physician runs their practice.
Find a doctor through your insurance provider
When you move to a new city, you need to find a doctor within your health insurance network (if you use an out-of-network doctor who is not covered by your current health insurance plan, you will have to pay for their services out of your pocket), so checking with your insurance company is a good way to continue your search for a new primary care physician.
You can contact your insurer and request a list of local doctors covered by your plan or visit the company’s website to search for physicians within your network.
Good to remember: If you have a new health insurance provider after the move, be sure to check on your new coverage, including co-pays and deductibles.
Research the doctors’ levels of expertise
Once you’ve narrowed down your choice to three or four primary care physicians that seem to suit your needs and preferences, you’re advised to look at their education and certifications. While checking credentials doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the physician will be a good fit, choosing a board-certified doctor will give you peace of mind, as board certification means higher standards and better care.
When researching doctors, be sure to find out not only what kind of education and training they have, but also how much time and effort they put into continuing education as it allows them to improve their knowledge and skill and to stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and treatment options in their fields of expertise.
Experience is also very important – if you require special care or are undergoing a certain procedure, you’re more likely to have a better outcome with a doctor who has extensive experience treating patients with your condition.
Now that you know how to choose a doctor in a new city, you need to do one last thing before you make your final decision – call the doctor’s office.
Get to know the doctor personally
You can make an appointment or set up an introductory phone call – even a short conversation with the doctor will reveal much about their personality, professionalism, and competency, and will give you a feel of how they approach care and interact with patients. You will also be able to ask some crucial questions, such as the working hours of the office, whether the doctor is available on weekends, if they have overnight or after-hours phone care, how soon you can get appointments, what happens if the doctor is fully booked, etc., as well as what kind of papers will be required to register with the doctor (See also: How to transfer medical records when moving)
There are many important things to take care of after moving to a new city, but finding a new doctor should be among your priorities – choose a good professional who’s a perfect match for your specific health needs and ensure your future well-being. May you be healthy and happy in your new life!
Thanks for the suggestion to contact our insurer and request a list of local doctors that are covered by our plan or to visit their website. My husband recently got a job promotion, so we moved across the country to accept it. We’ve gotten settled in, and now we’re trying to figure out healthcare providers to keep up with our family’s healthcare. Hopefully we can find a great doctor and clinic; we’ll definitely put your suggestion to good use!
Thank you for the tips on how to find a new doctor. We have recently moved and are needing to find a new family doctor. We will keep this in mind as we search for a family doctor.
A friend of mine just moved into his new house, and we were curious about how to find him a new doctor. I love that you say to go through your insurance provider. It would be nice to know that you won’t have to worry about seeing if the doctor takes your insurance.
Thanks for these tips on how to find a good doctor. I agree that you want to consider what others have to say first. I’m looking for a new primary care doctor, so I’ll have to check what others have to say.
Thank you for stating that you should ask for recommendations from family and friends when looking for a new doctor. My family just moved and need to find a new health care facility to go to. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information when looking for a great healthcare center that can take excellent care of us.
That’s a really good idea to ask nurses and other medical workers in the area for a recommendation. I imagine that can be really helpful because they see what doctors are like behind the scenes. I’ll have to keep that in mind for the next time I move, so I can have a good relationship with my primary care physician.
I liked what you said about asking if the doctor is available on weekends. My brother has just moved to a new area. He wants to make sure that he gets the best doctor that will be able to take care of him and his kids.
Thank you for stating that checking with your insurance company is a good way to continue your search for a new primary care physician when you move. I just had to move across the country because of my new job, and now I need to find a new doctor to go to. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information when looking for a great medical clinic that will take excellent care of me.
I just moved to a new area and I need to find a good doctor to go to. It is good to know that it would be smart for me to check with my insurance agent about which doctors in my new area takes my insurance. That could help me choose a new doctor a lot easier.
I was recently injured at work and I need to find a qualified doctor that I can visit. You make a great point that I should look at reviews from current and former patients. This way I can make sure that the doctor provides quality services that helped patients get better.
I had no idea that regional magazines have a list of the best doctors where you live. It’s really good to know because I have absolutely no idea where to start in the search for a good doctor. I’ll make sure to check a magazine and see if I can find that list.
I liked that you mentioned you need to schedule an appointment with your potential new doctor to make sure he is what your family needs. My husband and I will be moving to another city, and we are looking for advice about how to find a good doctor there. I will make sure to schedule several appointments to find the best doctor for my family.
It was really helpful when you said that you could ask family and friends for recommendations! My family is planning on moving to a new city next week and we’ll be in need of finding a new doctor. Thank you for these tips on how to find a new doctor after moving!
Thanks for these tips on how to find a good doctor. I agree that you want to ask around and get recommendations. I’m looking for doctor, so I’ll have to check their recommendations first.
Thanks for these tips on how to find a doctor after moving. I agree that you want to talk with friends and family to find out about them. My husband and I are looking for a doctor, so we’ll have to check their qualifications first.
I love that you suggested to check the expertise of a doctor before you hire them. We recently moved, and want to find a good doctor nearby for my medication management. When we look for one, I will be sure to check their expertise.
My family needs to have their health checked on, so I might need to look for a healthcare provider that will provide for their needs. I think we need to find a doctor that will help us screen for illnesses so we’ll know how to prevent them. Thanks for the tip that I should look at their certifications to know their level of expertise so we’ll know if they’re the right fit for us.
Thank you for stating that you should research a doctor and their education and how much expertise they have before going to one. My husband has been having a super bad pain in his stomach and has been considering going to the doctor. I will definitely keep all of your great tips and information in mind when trying to help my husband find a great doctor.
It’s helpful to remember we should look for an office that’s in our insurance network so we don’t have to pay more out of pocket. We’re going to be moving next month and will want to be ready to find a doctor quickly since our son has conditions that make him get sick pretty easily. Finding someone we can trust and afford will definitely be an important step.
It’s good to know that you can ask your family for recommendations. My husband and I are planning on moving closer to his family next week so that our kids can be closer to their cousins and grandparents, and we need to find a doctor as soon as we move there. We’ll make sure to keep these tips in mind once we move to our new neighborhood.
I recently moved, so I may need to find a new doctor. Thanks for mentioning that I should read reviews from previous patients, as they can help me figure out what kind of person the doctor is. Thanks for all the great tips for finding a doctor.
I never even thought to ask my current primary physician for recommendations but I’ll definitely do that soon. We’re moving in a few weeks so I’m trying to get everything sorted. Having a doctor and a dentist is the first thing on my list of priorities.
My family just moved and need to find a new health care facility to go to. Thank you for stating that you should ask for recommendations from family and friends when looking for a new doctor. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information when looking for a great healthcare center that can take excellent care of us.
I need to get a new doctor this spring because I am moving. It is good to know that I should think about talking to nurses or other medical workers in the area about doctors. That could help me find a good medical practitioner to go to.
I like what you said about contacting your insurer so that you can find a list of doctors covered by your plan. My sister has been telling me about how she’s moving soon, and she’ll need a new doctor. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for professionals who can help her with this.
My husband and I moved to our new city recently, and we are looking for advice about how to choose a new doctor. I loved that you mentioned you need to consider asking your friends and family for a recommendation to find the right doctor for your family after moving. I will let him know about your recommendations to help us choose the right doctor for our family.
It makes a lot of sense that one will be able to choose a doctor depending on their reviews from their patients. I just moved across the country, and I need to find myself a doctor for my regular check-ups. These details will really help me gather the resources to find a good clinic and start my evaluation.
I like how you mentioned asking coworkers and neighbors for doctor referrals if you’ve just moved. I recently moved and could use a great doctor, so these tips could really help me. Thank you so much for all the great tips for finding a new doctor.
I like how you mentioned that your current primary care physician might have recommendations for a new doctor for you if you decide to move. My wife and I are thinking of looking for health clinics in a new area because we’re considering relocating since I’m contemplating accepting an executive position at a new company. I think it’s a good idea for us to consider all of our options when choosing a healthcare establishment so we can stay as healthy as possible.
My family and I just moved to a new town and we have been trying to look for a primary care physician. It makes sense to ask our neighbors for recommendations as they will have knowledge. When I speak with my neighbors, I will ask for their recommendations.