Paying for Children’s Health Care & Eye Care

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH CARE

It is very important to find out whether your doctor’s views on parenting issues mesh with your own. Do the doctor’s views on issues like circumcision, breastfeeding, immunizations, nutrition, use of antibiotics, and alternative medicine match your own? Is the doctor aware of and sensitive to any cultural issues your family may have? Other questions to ask include:

• What are the office hours? Are weekend or evening hours available? • Are sick children separated in the office from children who are visiting for a checkup? • Who will see your child if the doctor is not available? • With which hospitals are your doctors affiliated? If your child needs to be hospitalized, who will care for your child there? • How does the office handle phone calls during and after hours? How quickly can you expect a call back during the day? After hours? • Are there special call times for parents with non-emergency • questions or is someone available during office hours? • Does the doctor perform routine developmental screenings as part of well-baby visits? Do they follow up with recommendations? • Will your child’s doctor handle emergencies or will your child be referred to an urgent care center or emergency room? • Are lab tests done in the office? • What are the policies regarding referrals to specialists? Is the doctor penalized by your health plan for referrals to specialists? If you are in an HMO, how does your doctor handle out of network referrals?