I developed intense heartburn during my second pregnancy. I tried every pregnancy-safe home remedy I could find and nothing seemed to work. I was hopeful that once my daughter was born, it would improve. When it didn't, I spent a lot of time working with an internal medicine specialist and researching remedies online. I've found many different things that help in different ways. I decided to create this site to document the solutions that I've found and help others to find a way to manage their chronic heartburn as well. If you're struggling with persistent heartburn, I hope this information helps you find relief.
Medical clinics may function as independent clinics where the doctor contracts with local hospitals, or they can be part of a local network of clinics that have a central billing office and central administration. Choosing which one to go with when you're looking for a new doctor because you just moved isn't as easy as you'd think. Yes, if you already know which primary care provider you want, you probably go where they are. But if you're totally new to an area and don't know which medical clinics are good, you'll have to take independence and network connections into account.
Ease of Billing
While an individual clinic's billing office might be very efficient, if you have to undergo a procedure at a specialist's office outside the clinic or have to stay in a hospital, you could start getting bills from all over the place. If your doctor is with a regional network with centralized billing, however, and your specialists and hospital stays are all in the same regional network, you could receive one bill from one place. There may be follow-up bills, but they should be grouped together in one form.
Note: "Network" here refers to partnered clinics and facilities that all use the same admin and billing offices. This is not the same as insurance in-network, although everyone in that regional network should accept the same insurance types
Ease of Switching Doctors
A large clinic network with many locations likely lets you switch doctors more easily. Insurance policies sometimes place restrictions on switching doctors when it's not done during an open-enrollment period, but if the doctors are all part of one large clinic network, then it's a lot easier to switch—even if it includes going to another location.
Control Over Time
At an independent clinic, the doctor may have more control over how much time they spend with patients. At a large clinic, the administration may set short time limits that have doctors rushing to see each patient, so they can't spend much time with them. If you prefer to see a doctor who can spend more time with you without being rushed, you might want to look at those that work at independent clinics.
Direct Primary Care Options
Independent clinics run by one or two doctors (or a small group) may also offer direct primary care. This runs on a membership-type fee scale where you pay a monthly or yearly fee for all services. These offices don't always accept insurance, although you can apply for reimbursement from the insurance company.
As usual, try to ask around and see if you can get the names of recommended doctors and medical clinics in the area. What matters in the end is that you're happy with your care, and having a good doctor is essential for that.
Share11 May 2022
