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Finding and paying for a doctor

• More information on finding and paying for a doctor

Part of good health involves seeing a doctor or other health care provider regularly. You might think that you only need to go when you're sick. But the doctor also helps keep you well. Your doctor or nurse checks for common health problems. He or she also looks for health problems you are at risk for. Your doctor will help you find ways to improve your health. He or she can tell you about healthy foods. You can talk to him or her about getting physically active.

Sometimes people don't get care because they don't have a doctor or health insurance. But these things don't have to be roadblocks. There are online resources that can help, such as those listed in this section. You can enter your zip code and get a list of doctors in your area. If you have health insurance, the company has a list of doctors in their plan. There are also places that will help you even if you don't have insurance. You can still get care at a community health center. In fact, there are federally-funded centers that can help with many health needs. This includes dental and mental health care, prescription drugs, and vaccines. These clinics have what is called a "sliding" fee scale. This means that they will only charge you what you can afford.

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More information on Finding and paying for a doctor

Explore other publications and websites

• Find a Health Center - This Internet site allows users to search a database of health centers offering low-cost health services to underserved populations. Users can search by address or by county.
  http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx
• Find Services & Information - This website section offers several links to additional information on certain health topics and makes it easier to find access to health care providers, health centers, public libraries, and other organizations. It also features an useful tool to locate resources within your state.
  http://healthfinder.gov/findservices/
• Hill-Burton Free and Reduced Cost Health Care - This resource tells about the Hill-Burton law and offers a list of health centers that are still required to provide free or reduced-cost health care.
  http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm
• Insure Kids Now! - Insure Kids Now! is a national campaign that links the nation's uninsured children, from birth to age 18, to free and low-cost health insurance.
  http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/

Connect with other organizations

• American Medical Association
  http://www.ama-assn.org/
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS
  http://www.cms.hhs.gov/default.asp?
• Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS
  http://www.hrsa.gov/
• Healthcare 411, AHRQ, HHS
  http://healthcare411.ahrq.gov/
• Hill-Burton Facilities Compliance and Recovery
  http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm
• Medicare Rights Center
  http://www.medicarerights.org/about-mrc/
• Medicare.gov, HHS
  http://www.medicare.gov/default.asp
• Unite For Sight, Inc.
  http://www.uniteforsight.org

Content last updated March 01, 2012.

Resources last updated May 18, 2010.

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