Help me find an ENT

December 28, 2012 9:10 AM

I need help finding an ENT physician in the NYC area. I continue getting ear infections and it's about time I see a specialist instead of my primary care physician. I don't have insurance and currently working a part-time, so if you can recommend me one that won't charge me over $200 for a first time visit I would greatly appreciate it.
posted by likeapen to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

For $200 the specialist isn't going to to be able to any more than the GP, which is look into your ears and other basic check up type of stuff. ENTs are surgeons although good ENTs will look for non surgical options first, at the end of the day surgeons pay the bills by doing surgery, so odds are they are going to want to do an MRI to get a look at what is happening in your inner ear, and possibly talk about tubes in your ears or surgery of some type. And obviously an MRI is not happening for $200!

At least that has been my experience with ENT doctors. I don't have a recommendation but I wanted to tamper your expectations because $200 is a lot of money and you probably won't be any better off after the appointment. I'd stick with the PCP, unless you are prepared to spend the big bucks that the ENT will want on MRIs, and possibly a hearing test, etc.
posted by COD at 10:13 AM on December 28, 2012

It's worth it to call the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. They have flexible payment options / sliding scale for self-paying patients.
posted by kalapierson at 10:55 AM on December 28, 2012