Blog:Finding pediatricians that take Medicaid
A question we get at the SC Choices blog is: How can I find a list of children's doctors that take Medicaid?
We've got answers! Keep reading.
Pediatricians are doctors that take care of children. It's important to take children to pediatricians for regular checkups throughout childhood and even when the children are teens. That way the doctor can spot little problems before they become big ones and help you keep your child healthy. Healthy kids make healthy adults.
Finding a pediatrician is easy when you get your Medicaid services through a health plan. As we've told you before here on this blog: "Your health plan will have all the health care professionals you need."
To see your choices, just select "Find a doctor, clinic or hospital" on the left column. You can select your health plan and location, and under "Specialties" scroll down to "Pediatricians," and a list of doctors will come up when you submit. Any of the specialists listed on the SCHCC website, including pediatricians, are accepting new patients. So once you find a doctor on the list, just call and make an appointment!
If you get your Medicaid services through Fee-for-Service Medicaid instead of a health plan, you can still find a pediatrician! One way is to join a health plan. To do that, just call SC Choices and enroll in a health plan over the phone. If you would rather stay in Fee-for-Service Medicaid, you can locate all Medicaid providers on the Department of Health and Human Services website.
To find a pediatrician that takes Fee-for-Service Medicaid:
- Go to the state Department of Health website at www.scdhhs.gov
- On the Home Page you'll see a left menu. Scroll to Look for "Information For," and under it you'll see General Information. Click on it!
- Click on "Search for a Provider," which is on the right, at the top of the chart.
- Use the drop-down menu to enter your county and the provider type (physician).
- Next you'll see a list of all the physicians (doctors) in your county. Look for "Pediatrics." You will see all the pediatricians in your county who take Medicaid.
- Once you find a pediatrician, call the doctor's office to find out if he or she is accepting new patients. Then make an appointment!
Check our blog often to find more information like this, and visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed too.
If you need more help finding things on our website or elsewhere online, call our call center or email us and we'll be happy to help.
If you have ideas for more blogs or want to talk about this one, please email us at blog@scchoices.com. Remember that email is not private. Do not send email with personal information in it such as your Medicaid ID number or Social Security number.