How to Switch Obstetricians

It is estimated that the average pregnant woman visits her obstetrician approximately 14 times throughout her pregnancy, therefore it is crucial to have a good patient-doctor fit. If you are not comfortable with your current obstetrician or you feel as though your concerns are not addressed in a timely manner, you may want to consider switching to a new obstetrician.

Instructions

• 1

  Contact your insurance company to obtain a list of obstetricians that are within your network. Using a doctor that is not accepted within your insurance company's network could leave you paying as much as 80 percent of the bill for services versus a small copay to an in-network doctor's office.

• 2

  Disclose how far along you are, prior to your appointment.

  Call several of the doctors from the list that your insurance company provides to you. It is important to note that if you are more than 29 weeks into your pregnancy you may find it difficult to find an obstetrician's office that will accept you. When you are calling each doctor's office be sure that you disclose how far along you are in your pregnancy. It could otherwise prove to be frustrating to arrive for your appointment only to be told that the obstetrician will not accept you as a new patient.

• 3

  Ask your newly selected obstetrician's office staff for a medical release form so that your medical records can be transferred from your former obstetrician's office. The completed form will be faxed or emailed to your former doctor's office and the files will be forwarded. Alternatively, you can request a copy of your files directly from your former obstetrician. Without your medical files, it could be more of a challenge for your new doctor to gauge, diagnose, and treat any serious medical conditions that could affect both you and your baby.