Finding a Primary Care Doctor in Naples, Florida

Finding a Primary Care Doctor in Naples, Florida
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Naples, Florida, offers primary medical care muscle to metro and Collier County residents. Choose a primary care doctor in Naples from a selection of highly credentialed providers as partners to your health and wellness regimen. All residents of Naples and Collier County have access to primary care doctors through Cover Florida Health Care, a statewide program, along with community health centers and reduced-fee-for-service programs for those who qualify.

Function of Doctor Referral Networks

Find a primary care doctor in Naples through physician networks and hospitals. NCH Healthcare Systems, one of the largest health care networks in western Florida, also has a Nutrition & Wellness Center. Call to identify wellness and nutrition-focused doctors in the area.

The Collier County Medical Society provides access to doctor networks in Naples. Contact it for additional suggestions. If you are moving to Naples, ask your primary care doctor to help you find a new physician. She knows your communications style and priorities, and can use her network to complement your search.

Considerations

Check your insurance plan before choosing a primary care doctor to ensure that insurance pays for the doctor's services. Naples residents use Aetna Health's Commercial HMO and PPO, American Medical Security's PPO/FFS, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida's PPO/FFS, CIGNA Healthcare of Florida's Commercial HMO, United Healthcare of Florida's Commercial HMO and PPO, Connecticut General's PPO/FFS, Golden Rule PPO/FFS, Humana Health Insurance PPO/FFS and Medicare most often. PPOs usually offer more choices to policyholders.

Types of Primary Care Doctors

Depending on the kind of health care partnership you hope with a new primary care doctor in Naples, you can choose from family practice, physiatrists, sports medicine and nutrition-focused doctors for care.

Family practice physicians provide a single doctor or practice. Instead of a team of specialist doctors, such as obstretrician/gynecologist for mom, internal medicine physician for dad and pediatrician for the children, many active families prefer one-stop primary care.

Physiatrists help their patients, including athletes, manage injuries and pain-related conditions. Sports medicine primary care doctors also provide nutrition and mechanical support to their patients.

Primary Care Solutions For Families

Connect with additional primary health care resources through the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, located in nearby Fort Myers, and All About Children Hospital in greater Tampa Bay, one of the top 25 ACH-ranked hospitals in the country, to find additional primary care referrals in Naples. Childrens' hospitals on Florida's Suncoast are closely linked and use telemedicine resources to review the needs of sick children and their families.

Community Benefits

Contact the PLAN (Physician-Led Access Network) of Collier County, in operation since 2003, to tap a referral network of more than 200 volunteers at area hospitals, community clinics, private practice physicians and others. PLAN, in concert with other integrated health care system resources in Naples and Collier County, ensures quality primary care to all residents.

Other community organizations, such as Catholic Charities of Collier County, assist residents in finding low- or no-cost primary care doctors.

References

Article reviewed by Jon Fogg Last updated on: Dec 7, 2010

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