Whether you are in Japan or abroad, it ’s hard to raise children. I don’t know when and where my child will get fever or get injured. You may have eczema with no known cause, and you don’t know what else will happen. My children were relatively healthy and did not go to the doctor very much. However, if something goes wrong, you can rest assured if you see a reliable doctor. Here, based on my experience, I would like to talk about a case where a child visits a hospital in the United States.
Family doctor
It is decided before I was born
In the United States, your relationship with your doctor begins before your child is born. When you prepare for childbirth, you will be asked “Do you have a pediatrician already?” When I gave birth to my eldest daughter, I didn’t know that at all, and I had to answer “I didn’t choose”. Then, he introduced the pediatrics with which the hospital was affiliated, and immediately after giving birth, the teacher came from there and looked at the baby. The teacher at this hospital is the “family doctor” of our children.
Pediatrician’s turn
Of course, there was also a pediatrician at the hospital where I gave birth to the eldest daughter, and it seems that the teacher was able to deal with any abnormalities in the baby at the time of delivery. However, a pediatric teacher, who is going to be with him for a long time, came to the hospital several hours after his birth and checked the condition and health of the newborn baby.
They will come to the room of the mother who has just given birth, will tell you how the baby is, and will make appointments for medical examinations two weeks after leaving the hospital. When I gave birth to the third girl, I had a jaundice, so I was told to come to pediatrics the day after discharge.
After leaving the hospital, we will proceed with regular medical examinations at the pediatric department. You can get a vaccination there, and if there is something in your growth stage, your pediatrician will refer you to a specialist. However, dentistry and ophthalmology are different.
In case of emergency
If you can’t contact your doctor
Whether it’s a baby or a teenager, suddenly getting sick or suddenly injured can happen. At that time, there is no problem if you can always contact your doctor and make an appointment. However, if the hospital is closed or at night, urgent action is required.
ER and emergency clinic
There are two types of emergency hospitals, ER and emergency clinics, as drama and other images. ER has a full-fledged emergency room that can be operated on, so patients are often carried by ambulance. If you don’t need to do that, a nearby emergency clinic is sufficient.
Emergency clinics give you simple treatments such as X-rays and sutures, and you can get prescriptions for antipyretic drugs and antibiotics even if you have a sudden fever or flu. However, since you are not your doctor, you must report on your child’s allergies and the medications you are taking.
If you have been treated at an emergency clinic, you can have your doctor check again.
We pay later
Medical insurance system
The United States is famous for its high medical expenses. However, it is too early to say that. If the medical expenses in Japan are high or the medical expenses in the United States are high, it cannot be easily compared. Because the mechanism is different.
Medical system in the period of change
Now, the United States is entering a period of change in medical insurance, and its mechanism is changing every day. Previously it was personal freedom, with or without insurance, but now it is becoming a duty. Even if you say medical insurance in a word, there are a wide variety of things, including those that are borne by the company and those that are entered by individuals. There are various types of insurance offered by states and corporations, so we can’t explain what health care costs will cost.
Periodic medical examinations may be performed free of charge. Periodic screening is included in the basic plan of medical insurance, and vaccination is the same. The vaccinations established by the state are covered by medical insurance and are generally free. Even if you don’t have medical insurance, you can get a free service if you go to a public health center.
Exceptional if not covered by insurance
Of course, if you go to the ER or emergency clinic mentioned earlier, you are not covered by insurance. After receiving treatment, the clinic charges the treatment fee to the insurance company, and after being divided into treatments that are not covered by the insurance, the medical fee is charged later.
If you check this medical cost, it may be outrageous. We generals don’t know what is covered and what isn’t, and they don’t know at the clinic when asked.
If you don’t have insurance, you will be responsible for the full amount. So you must be careful when using emergency clinics.
Relationship with doctors is very important
As can be said for adults, when you live in the United States, a good relationship with a doctor you can trust is very important.Children can’t explain well how bad they are, so you can rest assured that there’s a doctor nearby who can quickly detect and communicate well.I would like to continue to cherish the relationship with the doctor who will watch over my growth.
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