We are asking that current patients who are 18 years old or older and graduated from high school or will be graduating in the upcoming Spring/Summer find an adult health care provider by August 31 of their graduation year.

We at Liberty Pediatrics have enjoyed helping to care for you over the years! We are here to offer guidance and support you in the next step to finding an adult health care provider.

Read below to find the following: 

  • Recommendations on how to begin looking for an adult healthcare provider

  • Information on the different types of physicians and practices that offer adult primary care and how to choose the right fit

  • Questions to ask as you look for an adult provider

  • How to transfer records to a new health care office and update insurance

Thank you for your understanding and, as always, please call if you have any questions.

How to Begin Looking for an Adult Healthcare Provider

  1. Parent or guardian’s primary care provider (PCP) office - consider transferring care to your parent’s PCP or a different PCP in that practice.

  2. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to see which PCPs are listed as accepting new patients in your area.

  3. Group Practices with local clinics have a “Find a Doctor” searchable websites to connect you with physicians who are accepting new patients: 

Trinity Health/IHA: https://www.trinityhealthmichigan.org/find-a-doctor/ 

Packard Health: https://packardhealth.org/our-team/find-a-provider/

Partners In Internal Medicine:  https://piim.org/

Washtenaw Health Department, RAHS clinics serve not only serve students, but everyone in our community 21 and under. https://umhs-rahs.org/services/health-care/#physicals

Young adults who are going out of state for college should learn how to use student health service for urgent health care needs while at school. They may also consider establishing primary care at their student health service. Keep in mind that, in general, telehealth visits cannot be conducted across state lines. 

Types of Healthcare Providers 

Adult Primary Care Practice: Physicians in adult primary care may have backgrounds in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and/or Med-Peds. 

Family Practice: Physicians typically have training across the life span from birth to adulthood, some provide obstetric and gynecology services.

Internal Medicine: Focuses on adult care only and well-prepared to manage medically-complex and chronic adult health care conditions. 

Combined Internal Medicine & Pediatrics (“Med-Peds”): Physicians have both Internal medicine and pediatric training. Med-Peds physicians can be a great choice for individuals with complex health conditions that are less common in adulthood. 

Questions to Ask Adult Healthcare Provider

Make a list of the providers you are interested in and call their offices to learn more about them. 

These questions may help you make the best decision:

  • Is this provider accepting new patients?

  • Is the provider part of a group practice? Who are the other providers I might see?

  • Does this provider have experience treating my medical conditions or can they refer me to a specialist?

    • In particular, if you are taking medicine for ADHD, anxiety, or depression? Ask if the provider will be able to prescribe and manage these medications. 

  • Where is the office located? Is there parking or is it near the bus stop?

  • What are the office hours? Do they have walk-in times or after-hours services?

  • What is the office policy about scheduling and canceling appointments?

  • How can I communicate with the provider after my visit and who can help me when my adult provider is not available?

  • Does this provider accept my insurance? (BCBS, BCN, Aetna, Cigna, etc.) Most young adults are covered on their parent’s insurance until age 26.

Transferring Your Health Records and Updating Insurance

Once you have found yourself a new primary care provider, it’s important to make sure to transfer all of your records over from Liberty Pediatrics. 

  1. Call your new adult provider and ask for the best address to send medical records to. Liberty Pediatrics sends medical records on USB flash drives via USPS mail, and it is important that your records end up at the place!

  2. Call Liberty Pediatrics at 734-994-5858 and let us know that you have found a new primary care provider and would like your records transferred. We will confirm your email address so we can send you a “Medical Record Release” form. This release provides consent for us to release your records to your new PCP. 

  3. Once this release form has been completed, you can sit back and relax! The records will be sent over to your new primary care physician within 2 weeks. 

Once you have established care with a new provider, it is important to update your primary care provider with your insurance! Simply call the number on the back of your insurance card and let them know that you would like to update your primary care provider. They will ask you the name of your physician or their practice name. This step, while simple, is extremely important because until this information is updated, you will still be listed as our patient and your new primary care will not receive any payments from insurance until you do so!

Prior to your first appointment: 

  • Ask your new provider if they received your medical summary from Liberty Pediatrics

  • Ask what you should bring to the first visit - you may need to bring a photo ID, insurance card, payment, and any current medications.

As always, remember to register to vote if you haven’t already!

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/register-to-vote