Health care in New York City is of a very high standard with many of the top facilities and specialists in the country. That said, the system is expensive and often overburdened.
The average doctor's visit may run up to $200, and house calls (consultations at your home) are virtually unheard of. Emergency room visits in a hospital can be as much as $1,000 and even expected medical procedures like childbirth in a hospital cost $20,000 with a hospital stay of 2 days or less and $30,000 for a caesarean. It may be the case that hospitals will only treat you after you've presented your insurance information.
General Practitioners (GPs) are family doctors. A GP is often the first doctor people see about a health problem. GPs provide referrals to more specialised doctors called specialist and you often can't see a specialist without a referral from a GP.
To see a doctor, make an appointment first. Ideally, you need to find someone in your health insurance network to make sure they are covered. You can consult directly with your insurance to find a doctor in your area.
The wait for an appointment is usually fairly short from a week to a month. If you need an appointment quickly, call around to different office to find the quickest availability. When calling the office, the receptionist will find a date for you and usually ask about your insurance. It is expected that you pay a co-pay for your visit when you see the doctor depending on your insurance plan. Some doctors are booked up and will not take new patients but will refer you to another area doctor.
American doctors tend to run many tests and x-rays to protect themselves from the chance of lawsuits and answer any questions, which runs up costs which is somewhat subsidized by insurance.
Dentists in New York City
Dental care is a high priority in the USA, both for health and cosmetic reasons. Many insurance plans cover basic dental services and treatments, but evaluate plans to find the best coverage for your needs.
Dentists in NYC organized by Borough:
- Bronx (PDF)
- Manhattan (PDF)
- Queens (PDF)
- Brooklyn (PDF)
- Staten Island (PDF)
In addition, New York Free Clinics offer no or low cost care for clients without insurance or low-income.
Update 13/02/2020
Expatriate health insurance in
With so much to deal with before leaving your home country, (taxes, moving house, paperwork etc.) the careful planning of your expatriation to New York City is an essential step. As far as healthcare is concerned, your local social security scheme won’t be accompanying you to your host country and, once abroad, you might be surprised by the care system you find in So, before leaving, make sure you have appropriate cover!
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Getting a health insurance quote
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