Strategies for Finding a New Primary Care Provider

When people move to Vermont or relocate within the state, they often begin looking for a new primary care physician. Retirement of their long-time primary care doctor can also force Vermonters to hunt for a new physician. The search can be long and frustrating.

A shortage of primary care physicians in the state means Vermonters may have difficulty finding one. All but two of Vermont’s 14 counties fell short of a national benchmark for the number of primary care physicians in 2022, according to a report by the Vermont Medical Society. Only Bennington and Chittenden counties had the recommended number of primary care physicians to care for their populations. The state as a whole was 115 primary care physicians below the benchmark level.

With not enough primary care doctors, patients report spending hours making phone calls to physician offices, only to find waiting lists for appointments—some as long as six months or more. Other doctors are not accepting new patients at all.

It’s important that everyone has a primary care provider (PCP). They can make sure you get preventive care like screenings and vaccinations, treat common illnesses, and help you manage chronic conditions. If you need to see a specialist, they can help arrange that care. If you need a new PCP, we want to help you find one quickly. Here are some tips for speeding up the search.

Flexibility Is Key

To find a new PCP in Vermont, it’s important to be flexible. You may need to be willing to see other types of providers and travel outside your immediate area. Steps to take include:

• Check our provider directory. Our Find-a-Doctor tool will help you identify in-network providers. Enter your ZIP code to see a listing in your area. You can type “primary care” in the search term box, or browse by category and select “primary care” from the list of medical specialties.
• Filter providers not accepting new patients. Some providers in our directory have indicated they are not accepting new patients at this time. You can filter these providers from your search results so they’re not on your list of offices to contact. Click the “accepting new patients” button above your search results to limit your results to providers who are accepting new patients. Please note that provider search results, even when “accepting new patients” is selected, may include some providers who are no longer accepting new patients, as we depend on providers to update us on their patient capacity and availability. You can call the provider’s office or check their website to verify if they are open to new patients.
• Consider other types of providers. Even though a doctor indicates they are accepting new patients, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can get an appointment right away. There may be a lengthy waiting list to see that provider. You may be able to get in sooner if you agree to see another type of clinician that can serve in the PCP role, such as an osteopathic physician (DO), physician assistant (PA), or nurse practitioner (NP). When calling an office that has multiple providers, if the physicians have waiting lists, ask if an appointment with a PA or NP is available sooner.
• Ask for suggestions. If you call a provider office and they aren’t accepting new patients, ask if they are aware of other offices that are taking new patients. They may have some suggestions for places to call.
• Consider other types of practices. Family medicine practices (which treat both children and adults) and internal medicine practices (which see only adults) are common primary care providers, but several other types of practices can also provide primary care. Pediatricians will often see young adults, in addition to kids. Older people may be able to find a geriatric medicine practitioner to serve as their PCP. A woman could ask their obstetrician/gynecologist to be their PCP. Be sure to talk to the provider first about their willingness to serve as your PCP.
• Widen your search. It’s great to have a PCP with an office close to your home or work. However, you may need to look for a PCP in other areas, such as a neighboring county. You can widen your search by using the distance filter in our provider directory to select how many miles away you want to search.
• Look for new practices. Keep an eye out for new practice announcements in your community newspaper, in online discussion groups like Front Porch Forum, or on social media. New practices are more likely to be building their patient base and offering appointments sooner.
• Offer to be an appointment filler. If your schedule is flexible, you could offer to fill in for patients who cancel their appointments at the last minute. The practice’s front desk staff may be willing to keep your name handy and call you if they need to quickly fill a spot. That flexibility could get your foot in the door sooner!

Let Us Know About Your New PCP

We hope these tips will help you be successful searching for a new PCP. When you find one, please contact us so we can update our records.

• Members enrolled directly with Blue Cross VT may be able to update or change their PCP through our Member Resource Center. After logging in, select “report a change.” You can also use our interactive enrollment and change form. Please note that members directly enrolled with us in Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) cannot change their PCP on the Member Resource Center.
• Members enrolled in QHPs through Vermont Health Connect can update or change their PCP by calling our customer service team at (800) 247-2583 (TTY/TDD:711).  We are available Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Once you’ve selected a PCP, don’t wait until you’re sick to make an appointment. Schedule an annual wellness visit so you and your new PCP can get acquainted and begin working on your preventive care.

For more tips on finding a PCP, check out our blog article on choosing a primary care provider.