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Find Doctors and Medical Facilities

Find tools to help you choose doctors, hospitals, and health care facilities. Learn about options for long term care services and questions to ask before buying long term care insurance.

Find Doctors, Hospitals, and Health Care Facilities

Finding a doctor you trust or a hospital that fits your needs can be hard. Here are some tips and resources to help you choose:  

 

Check Doctor Accreditations

Before making an appointment, learn about a doctor’s credentials.

Check Hospitals and Other Health Care Facilities

Get Help with Lowering Health Care Costs

Long-Term Care

Find useful information on long-term care services. Get answers to common questions and learn how to complain about long-term care.

Learn About Long-Term Care (LTC)

Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services that include medical and non-medical care for people who have chronic illnesses or disabilities.
If you are thinking about long-term care needs for yourself or your loved one, these resources can help:

Long-Term Care Insurance

Most health insurance plans and Medicare severely limit or exclude long-term care. If you want coverage, you may need a separate long-term care insurance policy. These questions can help you evaluate long-term care insurance policies.

What health condition qualifies you for benefits? 

You must be unable to independently perform some basic daily living tasks. These may include eating, walking, getting from the bed to a chair, dressing, bathing, or using a toilet.

What type of care is covered? 

Does the policy cover nursing home care? Will it cover assisted living facilities that provide less care than a nursing home? If you want to stay in your home, will it pay for visiting nurses and therapists? What about help with food preparation and housecleaning?

What is the dollar limit on benefits? 

Most plans provide a specific dollar benefit per day. The benefit for home care is usually about half the nursing home benefit. But some policies pay the same for both forms of care. Other plans pay only for your actual expenses.

What is the benefits period? 

You can get a policy with lifetime benefits but this will cost more. Other options for coverage are from one to six years. The average nursing home stay is about 2.5 years.

Is the benefit adjusted for inflation? 

If you buy a policy before age 60, the fixed daily benefit may not be enough by the time you need it.

Do benefits begin right away? 

A 20 to 100 day waiting period is not unusual.

Complaints about Long-Term Care

If you feel you are in danger, call 911 or contact your local authorities.
To complain about a long-term-care facility, contact your state's long-term care ombudsman or local elder abuse resources.

Health Benefits for Veterans

If you served in the military, you might be eligible for veterans health benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs the program.

Benefits include:

Find VA Medical Facilities

When you sign up for VA health benefits, you'll pick one VA location for your regular care. The VA may refer you to other facilities for specialty care.

Use the VA facility locator to find VA medical centers, clinics, and vet centers.

Check Your Eligibility

You may qualify for VA health benefits if:

  • You served on active duty, and

  • You did not receive a dishonorable discharge

Learn more about veterans health care eligibility to see if you qualify.

How to Apply for Medical Benefits

You can apply for VA medical benefits online, by phone, mail, or in person. The VA will make its decision within one week.

Manage Your Care with My HealtheVet

Use the My HealtheVet website to:

  • Order prescription refills

  • Schedule appointments

  • Send secure messages to your VA health care team

  • View lab and test results

  • View, download, and print your medical records

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Last Updated: November 10, 2022

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