The best way to safeguard your health is a managed health care plan. Before registering your name make a probe into the world of medical groups.

After enrolling to a health care plan, you have to choose your Primary Care Physician (PCP) who will be the overseer of your requirements and will see that they are met properly.

Generally your PCP is a part of a group of doctors known as medical group or an independent practice association (IPA). The doctors join to form an IPA to provide medical services to people.

1. Chalk up the steps the doctors should follow while diagnosing and treating health problems.
2. Making sure that the quality of care is proper
3. Setting up rules for seeing a specialist for special cases.
4. Setting up the time of your meeting with doctors and for other things
5. Taking decision about your going to hospital or going for other special services
6. Checking the qualification and backgrounds of new doctors

Check website ratings of the IPAs or medical groups to weigh and compare their excellence. Verify the following:

1. Check the name of the medical groups that belong to the health plans that are available to you.
2. Check the names of the hospitals the doctors of the medical group use.
3. Check the time you have to wait for a routine check up or for an ongoing illness.
4. Make sure the office hours and location is convenient and if help is available after office hours.
5. Check whether the IPA provides online information and services.
6. Inquire about the fees, whether it has to be directly paid or otherwise.

Overall Rating Of Care: A good IPA having a soaring rating by the patient is sure to dish out the best of medical and care services.

Treatment And Specialty Care: A reputed IPA will make sure that the patients are getting the required treatment and specialty care. The routine check-ups are in time and the patients will get prompt special care in special cases. You will not be forced to do unnecessary tests.

Communication With Patients: A good IPA will boast of staffs who will communicate with utmost care and promptness with the patients. The doctors will listen carefully to the patients and explain everything to them with patience. Overall, the patient will have nothing to complain.

Timely Service And Care: This means the whole package ticks off with an excellent time schedule.

1. Medical groups that are sensitive to a patient’s health history will keep that in mind while scheduling appointments and the appointments should materialize within time.
2. Good medical groups will answer urgent problems of patients quickly
3. A high-quality IPA should provide excellent service over phone during the office hours.
4. It should also provide required help after office hours.
5. The regular doctor should prepare a calendar to plan advance preventive care exams, screening test reminders and follow-up discussions of the test results.

Join a good quality IPA and let it protect your health from the external and internal perils.