Help me find a doctor!
August 11, 2010 12:22 PM Subscribe
I need to see an internist who accepts Medicare in NYC, as soon as possible. But I don't know who to see or even where to start looking.
TMI: I have this giant and horrifying rash on my back, only on one side, and it hurts a lot. I had shingles as a kid, and I think I may be in for a repeat performance.
The problem is that I don't have a physician. At this point I'm open to all suggestions, but here's what I'm looking for:
1. An MD who will be my primary care physician going forward
2. Must accept Medicare
3. Can see me soon so I can find out if I'm a public health threat/why I have a bizarre painful stabby rash
4. Obviously there are a bunch of qualities a person normally looks for in a doctor. A good bedside manner. Hospital affiliations that don't suck. Good staff, a fast/streamlined waiting room.
5. I would really like to find someone in Brooklyn.
Do you have any recommendations? Names of doctors, or suggestions about how to find one? Is it common for NYC docs to NOT accept Medicare?
throwaway e-mail: ithinkihaveshingles@gmail.com
anonymous because I really don't want my health information to be public
TMI: I have this giant and horrifying rash on my back, only on one side, and it hurts a lot. I had shingles as a kid, and I think I may be in for a repeat performance.
The problem is that I don't have a physician. At this point I'm open to all suggestions, but here's what I'm looking for:
1. An MD who will be my primary care physician going forward
2. Must accept Medicare
3. Can see me soon so I can find out if I'm a public health threat/why I have a bizarre painful stabby rash
4. Obviously there are a bunch of qualities a person normally looks for in a doctor. A good bedside manner. Hospital affiliations that don't suck. Good staff, a fast/streamlined waiting room.
5. I would really like to find someone in Brooklyn.
Do you have any recommendations? Names of doctors, or suggestions about how to find one? Is it common for NYC docs to NOT accept Medicare?
throwaway e-mail: ithinkihaveshingles@gmail.com
anonymous because I really don't want my health information to be public
Dr. Anna Berenstein is a pretty good doctor (willing to listen, easy to talk to, not too judgmental, good staff), and AFAIK accepts a bunch of different Medicaid and Medicare plans. She's at 2785 Ocean Pkwy, which is right next door to Coney Island Hospital. Her number is 718-769-7330.
posted by shamash at 1:06 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by shamash at 1:06 PM on August 11, 2010
My physician is great, and she shows up in the Medicare database. Her name is Dr. Tammy Leopold. I recommended her on Mefi earlier today. I've reviewed her on Yelp as well.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:38 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by ocherdraco at 2:38 PM on August 11, 2010
"Is it common for NYC docs to NOT accept Medicare? "
Actually, it is common for MOST docs not to accept Medicare - or at least NEW Medicare patients, and it is going to get worse. Look at this way, Medicare already pays well below what a private insurance pays, and when you add in rent, salaries, billing, etc, a doctor would be lucky to break-even on a Medicare appointment. And now with the 20%+ SGR cuts, the amount they receive will be well below cost. In short, most docs I know are going non-par with Medicare.
I'm not saying this to stand on my soap box and say what's right or wrong with our healthcare system; it is what it is. Point being, when it comes to finding a Medicare provider, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
My advice if the other physicians referenced fall through, look at Community Health Centers. They are going to receive substantial funding through the new health care law, and they already receive far more in reimbursements than someone in private practice, so they will be much more willing to take you. Ie, (and this is for Medicaid but I'm sure the numbers are similar to Medicare) a private physician billing for a routine office visit (code 99213) gets about $25. Your plumber probably gets more than that without all the overhead. A Community Health Center billing under the same code? $120 reimbursement. It's not that the Community Health Center is any more efficient, just that they have the federal govt backing them. Look at the Pedro Espada scandal where millions were embezzled from one of these clinics!
posted by texas_blissful at 6:08 PM on August 11, 2010
Actually, it is common for MOST docs not to accept Medicare - or at least NEW Medicare patients, and it is going to get worse. Look at this way, Medicare already pays well below what a private insurance pays, and when you add in rent, salaries, billing, etc, a doctor would be lucky to break-even on a Medicare appointment. And now with the 20%+ SGR cuts, the amount they receive will be well below cost. In short, most docs I know are going non-par with Medicare.
I'm not saying this to stand on my soap box and say what's right or wrong with our healthcare system; it is what it is. Point being, when it comes to finding a Medicare provider, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
My advice if the other physicians referenced fall through, look at Community Health Centers. They are going to receive substantial funding through the new health care law, and they already receive far more in reimbursements than someone in private practice, so they will be much more willing to take you. Ie, (and this is for Medicaid but I'm sure the numbers are similar to Medicare) a private physician billing for a routine office visit (code 99213) gets about $25. Your plumber probably gets more than that without all the overhead. A Community Health Center billing under the same code? $120 reimbursement. It's not that the Community Health Center is any more efficient, just that they have the federal govt backing them. Look at the Pedro Espada scandal where millions were embezzled from one of these clinics!
posted by texas_blissful at 6:08 PM on August 11, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Are you on straight-up Medicare or a Medicare provider (e.g. Americhoice.) If it is the latter, you should have been assigned a GP when you registered. You should have also been issued a provider card along with your NYS Benefits card. Take a look at the provider card, if you have one. It should contain the assigned GP's info. Otherwise, you can call the provider to see if they assigned you one. The assigned one may not be great but you have to change your assigned GP before you can go to a different one. Be careful and find out so you don't get charged. You may also want to connect NYS Benefits to see if they may have assigned you a GP when you signed on.
I can't recommend any doctors (mine is in Brooklyn and pretty efficient, but not great) but here is the official, searchable listing of Medicare doctors. You can check out advised doctors to see if they take Medicare.
posted by griphus at 12:32 PM on August 11, 2010