USA news on Youtube Sep 17 2018

Hey ASE learners, it's Lauren!

And I'm back for another phone conversation.

Today, we're going to practice calling for a doctor's appointment.

Let's get started.

Charleston clinic, how may I help you?

Hi, I'd...I'd like to make an appointment.

Ok. what is your last name?

Shu.

Can you spell that?

S-H-U

You know, I'm not finding you in our system...

Um, who's your primary care provider?

I don't have a primary care provider;

I'm... I'm a new patient.

Okay, what's the reason for your visit?

I think I have the flu.

My stomach's really hurting,

And I think I have a fever.

So you're... you're looking for a doctor in adult medicine.

um.. It looks like Dr. Doe is accepting new patients.

His next available appointment is Friday,

at 3:30 p.m.

Does that work for you?

Do you have anything earlier?

I'm afraid not...

If you start feeling better before that,

please come to the appointment anyway,

so you can establish care with Dr. Doe.

And if you start feeling much worse before then,

you can go to our walk-in clinic,

on Lincoln Street. And be seen without an appointment.

Ok, I guess I'll just take that appointment, then.

Alright, can I get your full name

and birthdate again for the appointment?

My name is Lauren Shu... S-H-U...

and my birthdate is March 9th 1986.

And who is your health insurance provider?

BlueCross, BlueShield.

Ok, Lauren, I've got you down...

to see Dr. Doe on Friday at 3:30 p.m.

You'll need to arrive 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork.

and you'll need to bring your ID,

and insurance card,

as well as a list of any medications you are currently taking.

Okay, thank you.

Oh, you're welcome.

Feel better soon, bye!

Hey guys, thanks for watching today's video.

There's just a few more things

I want you to know about visiting a doctor in the United States.

First of all,

you need to decide if you're in an emergency situation, or not.

An emergency situation is very serious.

And the person is in extreme pain and may die.

If you are in an emergency situation,

you need to call 9-1-1 and wait for an ambulance.

Or, if you can, you're able to,

You need to get in your car and drive to the nearest hospital,

but if you are not in an emergency situation,

do not go to the hospital.

If you're not in an emergency situation, you have two options.

The first option is a walk-in clinic.

The second option is a regular doctor's office.

So both of these are really good options,

because they can both help you with your problem,

and prescribe medication,

but there are some differences.

A walk-in-clinic is really easy and convenient,

because you don't need to schedule an appointment.

You can just go whenever as long as they're open,

but you will not have a regular doctor

at a walk-in-clinic,

so every time you go you could see a new person.

That's why we suggest and we think it's important

for you to establish care with a primary care physician.

That means to have a regular doctor,

someone you see all the time.

And the only place to do this is at a regular doctor's office.

And sometimes appointments can take a long time to schedule.

And so that's why it's important to establish care early,

as soon as you can,.

So at a regular doctor's office you must have an appointment,

but you have a regular doctor who you can see.

One other thing that's important to know about doctors offices

is that they are not just for sick people.

If you're at a walk-in clinic,

you're going because you're sick and you need to go right then.

But at a doctor's office,

you can also schedule appointments if you are a pregnant woman,

or if you are healthy and just need a checkup.

So the last thing I want to cover today

is something that we mentioned

in the phone conversation with Lindsey.

In that conversation, you heard Lindsey ask me for my insurance information.

Now I want to state that insurance

in the United States is very important.

So make sure you have health insurance

before visiting a doctor or the hospital,

but make sure you have health insurance

because doctor's visits are not free.

In fact they are really expensive in the United States.

They can be.

So that's it for today!

If you have questions about visiting the doctor in the U.S.,

comment below and we'll try to answer you.

See you next time!

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And we'll see you in the classroom!