Guides
Plain guides to finding and checking a doctor, based on official sources such as Medicare.gov. They explain how the system works. They don't give medical advice, and they can't tell you which doctor or treatment is right for you.
Guide
What "Accepts Medicare Assignment" Means
What it says about your costs, and what to ask the office.
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How to Check Whether a Doctor Is Taking New Medicare Patients
Why no directory can promise this, and how one phone call settles it.
Guide
Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: Checking a Doctor's Network
Plans keep their own networks. Here is where to look.
Guide
How to Check a Doctor's License in Your State
Our listings can't show a license. Your state medical board can.
Guide
What Is an NPI Number?
A 10-digit ID for health care providers, and what it can and can't tell you.
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Do I Need a Referral to See a Specialist With Medicare?
It depends on whether you have Original Medicare or a plan, and which plan.
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Medicare Telehealth: What the Listing Means
What "Medicare claims indicate telehealth" says, and what to ask.
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Why Isn't My Doctor Listed?
Who the public file leaves out, and where else to look.
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What to Bring to a First Visit With a New Doctor
Which card to bring, and what to ask the office ahead of time.
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What You Pay for a Doctor Visit With Original Medicare in 2026
The Part B deductible, the 20%, and the questions that settle your bill.
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Seeing Doctors in Two States or While Traveling With Medicare
For snowbirds and travelers: what Original Medicare and plans allow.
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How to Talk to a Parent's Doctor and Medicare on Their Behalf
The permissions offices and Medicare ask for, and how to set them up.
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Changing Doctors With Medicare: Switching and Moving Your Records
Who you need to tell, and how to get your records to the new office.
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Getting a Second Opinion With Medicare
When Part B helps pay, what it costs, and how to find another doctor.
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Where to Complain About a Doctor or Your Medicare Care
Board, quality group, plan or HHS: which one handles your problem.
How These Guides Are Written
These guides aren't medically reviewed, and no one has paid to appear in them. Each one starts with a short answer, lists its official sources and shows the date it was last updated. If a rule has changed since then, the official source wins. To look up doctors instead, browse by city or search.