How do I find doctors who take Medicare patients?
Not every physician participates in Medicare. For those with Original Medicare coverage, Medicare has a fairly easy-to-use site called Physician Compare. You can find physicians and other healthcare professionals, such as therapists, dieticians, or nurse practitioners, who are enrolled in Medicare. This means these providers accept payment from Medicare for care and services to Original Medicare beneficiaries. The results include contact information, hospital affiliations, specialties of physicians, and languages spoken other than English.
To find a physician, go to Physician Compare, enter your zip code, state, or location, and select “Physician,” “Other Healthcare Professional,” or “Group Practice.”
A few points to remember about using this tool.
- Be aware that the listing may not be current. Check the bottom of the page for the last update, which can be a month or so in the past.
- It may take up to six months for new physician practices to show up in this directory.
- After completing your search, Medicare recommends that you contact the physician or provider to confirm they are accepting new Medicare patients and verify the address.
Most Medicare Advantage plans feature a network. Physicians or providers in a plan’s network have signed contracts with the plan and will accept a Medicare Advantage plan’s members. A plan’s website usually includes a link to help find physicians and other providers who are in the network.
Beneficiaries with a Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan, Medical Savings Account (MSA) plan, or a Medicare Cost plan who see out-of-network physicians should confirm that they participate in Medicare.
