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Step 1
Find out which hospitals your doctor works with. Sometimes your doctor may only perform procedures at select hospitals, so this can narrow down your next steps. You can also ask your doctor if he or she recommends one hospital in particular for the type of procedure you need.
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Step 2
From the list of hospitals, call your insurer to find out the level of coverage for receiving care at each location. Some health plans require you to receive non-emergent care at specific hospitals, while others may pay different amounts based on deals they have with specific hospitals.
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Step 3
For each hospital you could potentially go to (based on both your physician and the insurance coverage), use the Internet or call directly to find out if the hospital is accredited, meaning it meets national health and safety standards.
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Step 4
Of the accredited hospitals, find out which afford the best visiting hours, parking rates and other rules that may apply to your comfort during your stay at the hospital. This could also include food, single-occupancy rooms, accommodations for overnight guests, etc.
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Step 5
Finally, search the Internet for quality data posted by the hospitals. Find out if the hospital you select publishes their own data online or reports their data to a larger group such as the state health department. If your Internet search does not yield these results, you can always call the hospital and ask.
