Tips for a smoother transfer of care
Below are tips, tricks, and questions to ask as you navigate transferring care to the adult healthcare system.
- As you prepare for transfer, ask your pediatric care team how your new care team will reach out to you to schedule your first visit: phone, email, or the electronic medical record? Keep an eye out for a phone call from new phone numbers in those first few weeks so you don’t miss the call to schedule.
- Check to see if your new doctor takes your insurance. You can work with your existing clinic social worker, call the new office, or check with your insurance directly to see if the new doctor and/or facility are covered.
- Keep in mind that insurance coverage may change due to your age, which may impact where you can be seen. Be sure to ask questions about any new policies and what/who they cover before signing up for a new policy.
- Plan for transfer early, and make it a goal to see your new doctors at least once before your last visit with your pediatric care team to ensure there are no gaps in the transfer process.
- Make note of the date your referral(s) were made, keeping in mind that referrals can expire. Get the name and phone number of who you should call if you aren’t contacted to schedule your first visit with your new doctor(s).
- Be sure to write down your new doctors’ names, specialty, and phone numbers. Because not all adult clinics are multidisciplinary, you may need to keep track of multiple names and appointments.
- If you are on any approved therapies (steroids, exon skipping medications, others), coordinate with your existing team and your new team to ensure that any prescription renewals are made in advance, and that your new doctors have the information they need to continue prescribing your medications.
