Health facilities are places that provide health care. They include hospitals, clinics, outpatient care centers, and specialized care centers, such as birthing centers and psychiatric care centers.

When you choose a health facility, you might want to consider

• How close it is to where you live or work
• Whether your health insurance will pay for services there
• Whether your health care provider can treat you there
• The quality of the facility

Quality is important. Some facilities do a better job than others. One way to learn about the quality of a facility is to look at report cards developed by federal, state, and consumer groups.