What Do You Do When Your Doctor Retires?

October 22, 2021

According to a 2021 Jackson Physician Search survey, 21% of U.S. doctors are considering retirement and another 15% are thinking about getting out of health care and taking their skills or education to a different industry. If your GP does decide to call it a career, how do you find your next doctor?

Your current doctor may simply refer you to another physician in the same practice. That way, you need not worry about insurance or the transfer of your patient records. If you do not care for the recommendation, then the next step is to look for another doctor who takes your insurance. Ask any specialists you see, as they may be able to recommend excellent primary care physicians. If you find a recommended doctor is not accepting new patients, see if you can leverage the influence of the referring primary care physician or specialist, and have that physician ask on your behalf. See if a doctor you are considering is board-certified (check at certificationmatters.org).³