Finding a Doctor, Pharmacy and More
This guide is for visiting scholars and their dependents who are enrolled in the PSU Scholars insurance plan with PacificSource. Scholars in other insurance plans should contact their insurer for similar instructions.
When seeking medical care, it is important to know how to find a doctor, clinic or hospital that is part of your insurance plan. Insurance companies in the U.S. contract with health care providers to provide care within the terms and prices of the insurance plans. These health care providers are referred to as “in-network” or “preferred providers”. If you visit a doctor who is out-of-network, you will have to pay a higher portion of the cost.
Another important part of your health care plan is the “Primary Care Physician”. The primary care physician is a doctor you choose to be the leader of your health care. This is the doctor you would go to see if you get sick or hurt, need medication, or for a referral or orders to see a specialist or go to a hospital. If you do not have a primary care physician or do not contact him or her first, you may have to pay more for your care.
Find your primary care physician now! Waiting until you are sick or injured is the worst time to try and find a doctor. So taking some time now to select a doctor and become a patient of that office will make it much easier when you do not feel well and need some help. If you do not select a primary care physician ahead of time, you may have to wait a long time to see a doctor or have to go to a more expensive urgent care clinic.
How to Find a Doctor – Your Primary Care Physician
Step One: Go to www.pacificsource.com/psu and create a new “InTouch” member account. InTouch gives you secure 24 hour access to insurance materials and benefits, download ID card, explanation of benefits, and more. You can also access your insurance information and find a doctor, clinic or hospital on the myPacificSource mobile app.
Step Two: When you are logged in to your InTouch account, or on the pacificsource.com/psu web page, select “Find a Doctor” to begin your search. When you see the map of the United States, click Oregon or on the state where you are located. This will take you to the Find a Provider search page.
- For location, enter Portland, Oregon.
- The Plan or Network should default to PSN (PacificSource Network) which is what PSU uses.
- For Specialty Category, select “General & Primary Care Providers” or a specialist if you need one.
- You can also select other doctor/provider preferences in your search.
If you need assistance with finding an in network provider, please contact PacificSource, where you can speak with a live representative with little to no wait time. The phone number is 1-855-274-9814.
Other Health Care Needs
You can also use the provider search to find other in-network providers such as walk-in or urgent care clinics, hospitals, testing labs and other services. Follow the same steps to find a doctor above, but for Specialty Category scroll down to “Facility Categories” and select your choice.
You can go directly to a walk-in or urgent care clinic or hospital in case of immediate or emergency needs. However, it is generally better to contact your primary care physician first as clinics and hospitals have higher co-pays and other fees.
What do I do if. . .
Q: What do I do if I want to stay healthy and see a doctor for a check-up?
A: Make an appointment with your primary care physician.
Q: What do I do if one of my children needs to get a vaccination?
A: Make an appointment with your primary care physician. The doctor’s office might refer you to another office or clinic that has the vaccination you need.
Q: What do I do if I feel sick, but maybe I can wait a day or two to see someone?
A: Call your primary care physician. Your doctor may be able to see you soon or give you instructions about medication or other things to help you feel better.
Q: What do I do if I feel very sick or injured, and I need to see someone right away!
A: Call your primary care physician first. Your doctor might be able to see you right away or will refer you to another office or clinic for care.
Q: Emergency! Severe bleeding, difficult or no breathing, loss of consciousness.
A: CALL 911 or go to a hospital immediately!
Questions? Need Assistance?
Contact International Student and Scholar Services if you have questions about the PSU scholar insurance plan, how to find a primary care physician, or about healthcare in general.