Making informed health care decisions
King County wants employees to feel good, get the most out of life, and do your best work for the people of King County.
We want to help you become a savvy health care shopper, get the right preventive care, talk with your doctor, and make the most of your benefits.
King County is partnering with the Washington Health Alliance to promote the Own Your Health campaign to bring our employees access to tools and resources you can use to make good health care choices.
What types of doctors are Primary Care Providers?
- MDs and DOs who have a specialty type of:
- General Practice
- Family Practice
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Geriatrics
- OB/GYN
- Obstetrics
- Preventive Medicine
- Adult Medicine
- Women’s Health Care Practitioner
Get better care at a fair price by doing these four things
Learn about why these five questions are so important to ask. It’s your health, after all.
- Do I really need this test or procedure? Ask your doctor to tell you if you really need the treatment, test or procedure and how it will make a difference.
- What are the downsides? Your doctor should clearly outline the risks of the treatment, test or procedure, so you can balance them with the potential benefits.
- Are there simpler, safer options? You should know all your choices to determine the right one for you.
- What happens if I do nothing? Sometimes, doing nothing can be an option to consider seriously.
- How much does it cost? Consider your out-of-pocket costs. A simpler treatment may cost less money and be just as effective.
Learn more about Choosing Wisely, a national campaign that seeks to promote conversations between you and your doctors to help you avoid unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures.
Research shows that people with a primary care provider have a higher level of satisfaction with their care and lower overall health care costs. Learn Why Everyone Needs a Primary Care Provider and ask these questions before making a decision.
Need help choosing a primary care provider? Contact your medical plan provider:
Regence BlueShield
Phone: 800-376-7926, 711 (TTY)
Email: Regence
Web: Regence BlueShield
Kaiser Permanente
Phone: 888-901-4636, 711 (TTY)
Email: Kaiser Permanente
Web: Kaiser Permanente
Use the Washington Health Alliance’s Community Checkup to compare quality scores for clinics or hospitals in your area. Whether you’re interested in getting care in a doctor’s office or a hospital, these score will help you find best quality health care available.
Consider using your health plan’s tools to get better care at a fair price.
Regence BlueShield Members
(KingCare and KingCare Select)
Regence has tools to help understand how insurance works, find providers covered by your plan, estimate out of pocket costs, and contact a nurse for advice.
You can also manage your health care on the go with the Regence app.
Kaiser Permanente
(SmartCare members)
Use Kaiser’s tools and resources to help you find providers and services. Manage your health care on the go with Kaiser Permanente’s easy to use app.
Click here to thrive with Kaiser’s app.
Stay connected
Please share your feedback with the team at Balanced You so we can spread good ideas, share success stories, and bring new tools to help you feel energized and be your best. The more you tell us, the better Balanced You will be!
Email: BalancedYou@kingcounty.gov
Phone: 206-263-9626