Big Holiday Plans this Year? Make Sure you have a Health Plan in Place

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Winter break is quickly approaching for children all over the country. They will spend the holidays, as well as a week after, at home. Some families will travel, while others will stay at home and open their houses to family guests. It doesn?t matter which group you are in, you need to establish a health care plan. If you are traveling, you will want to find local healthcare to your destination. If you are hosting, make sure you are prepared for any guest?s health concerns.

Manage prescriptions and health needs

Even if you are staying at home during the holiday season, local medical offices have different holiday hours. If you or anyone in your family required prescriptions or health equipment, make sure you have enough to get through the season. Some doctor?s offices have shorter hours, while others are closed for the entire week between the holidays. You can usually access the local emergency department or after hours urgent care for medical needs, but they do not usually fill prescriptions.

Make travel comfortable

Traveling can be hard for some people, especially those with health problems. Consider your health problems when planning a long trip this holiday season. Do anything you can to increase the comfort of the travel. If you are flying, choose a straight flight rather than having to connect numerous times. If you are traveling via road trip, invest in a comfortable padding to place over your seat. Also, try to travel with other drivers so you can split up the drive times. Map out your route, including any urgent care clinics along the way. You never know when you might need medical care while on the road.

Stock up on over the counter medications

This tip also applies to both those traveling and those hosting this holiday season. If you are traveling, you won?t want to have to stop numerous times to get medication for a headache, backache, or any other pain. Additionally, if you are driving throughout the night, you might not find an open store to purchase these items from. If you are hosting, these are items that are commonly forgotten. Stocking up on them can make your guests feel more comfortable if they have any medical needs that arise. In addition to the medications, provide them with a list of local clinic care centers.

Know your primary physician?s holiday hours

It can also be helpful to know your primary physician?s holiday hours. If you need to ask the doctors any questions about your medical care, you know when to contact them. Urgent care clinics are great for immediate medical care, but they do not have your medical records. If you hare hosting and a guest needs medical care, they are going to ask you for a referral. If you already know your primary physician?s office hours, you can refer them to the best doctors you know.

Know your urgent care clinics

Some doctors also have urgent care clinic hours, making it easier to get quality medical care. An estimated 3 million patient?s trust in urgent care clinics each week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. Currently, there are 20,000 physicians practicing urgent care medicine today. Look up your local doctor’s directory for more information about the centers that your favorite and trusted physicians work through.

Medical problems can and do occur over the long holiday break. Your kids will be out of school and you might be traveling or hosting. Either way, it is important to have a medical health plan in place. Prepare for an emergency, whether it is your family or a guest. With 85% of urgent care centers open seven days a week, at least you have a quality medical care option available.

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