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What To Consider When Finding The Top Cardiologist For Your Heart in NYC

What To Consider When Finding The Top Cardiologist For Your Heart in NYC

Patients often have a hard time finding the top cardiologist in New York. Reason being that there are literally thousands of heart specialists to choose from in the greater New York area.  This makes it difficult to draft a short list, let alone select a single top cardiologist from so many.  cardiologist-nyc

That’s why it can be helpful to use online resources, reviews from other patients, and expert lists like this one to get the process started.

The Top 5 Cardiology Heart Associates in Manhattan

We’ve listed the top five cardiology heart associates below. This will let you know the kind of things to look for before making your own list or selecting a name from this one.

Cardiologist #1: Dr. Jeffrey Moses-serves as director of interventional cardiology at both of New York Presbyterian’s clinical locations. Dr. Moses has performed thousands of heart-related procedures throughout his career, giving him the perfect combination of knowledge and experience, as demonstrated by his current post. In the last three years alone, he has continued to uphold the prestigious reputation that New York Presbyterian is known for; the program remains one of the top cardiology destinations in the country.

Cardiologist #2: Dr. Samin Sharma-is another one of New York’s finest interventional cardiologists. He currently practices at Mount Sinai Medical Ctr. This medical center rivals New York Presbyterian; performing well over 5,000 cardiac procedures a year. Dr. Sharma is considered a role model to his peers, and is dedicated to being on the cutting-edge of cardiology within the medical field.

Cardiologist #3: Dr. Mark Seldon-is dual certified in cardiology and internal medicine. He holds the unique distinction of being able to treat not only heart disease, but vascular conditions as well. The 35 years he has spent as a cardiologist have put him in some of the top circles in the field, including an affiliation with Mount Sinai Medical Center and NYU.

Cardiologist #4: Dr. Fred Pasternak-shares his dedication to cardiology directly with his patients. He gives every interaction his full attention, providing patients in need with a knowledgeable and direct approach to treatment.

 Cardiologist #5: Dr. David Weinstock-is an indictable resource for patients facing long-term management of cardiac conditions and/or an involved cardiac rehabilitation process. He can use his connections with over 11 institutions in the New York area to make sure you get the best treatment possible. He will follow-up to make sure your treatment plan is sufficient.

Out of the thousands of cardiologists that work in New York City, how do you find the top cardiologist that is right for you? This is a question that every heart patient has to face at one time or another. Luckily, there are two approaches you can take to finding the heart specialist who can help you most.

Method #1: Get a referral

This is the most common approach patients take to finding a heart doctor. Why? Getting a referral from your primary care physician eliminates a lot of questions and hurdles for you. Two of the biggest concerns for patients are:

  1. Is my heart doctor experienced and properly certified?
  2. Will my insurance cover my treatment costs?

If you get a referral from another physician, both of these questions are already answered for you.

Clinics that work with in-network specialists have to make sure those specialists are fully certified and covered by the patient’s insurance provider before giving the referral.

Given the changes in insurance coverage that are due to take effect this year, this will likely be the favored way to choose a top cardiologist from now on. Of course, there is no harm in double checking your cardiologist’s background and credentials.

Method #2: Contact the heart doctor directly

In some cases, you get farther by contacting a specialist directly. This is particularly helpful if you have a condition that requires the attention of a limited number of specialists.

These conditions include:

  • Vascular varicosity
  • Hypertension
  • Problems with cardiac electrical function
  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
  • Advanced heart failure

Depending on the condition that requires treatment, you will be referred to the clinical department that will handle your case.

This approach requires extra work to make sure that the top cardiologist you need is properly certified and covered by your insurance provider. Medical exceptions can be granted if a patient can show that treatment from a particular specialist is a matter of medical necessity. The clinic can help you prove your case to the insurance company.

Even if insurance coverage isn’t possible, there are ways to pay for treatment from an out of network provider. Talk to the clinic about your options if necessary.

It is a good idea to come up with a list of questions for your top cardiologist that you can take with you to your first appointment. The answers to these questions will help you understand more about your condition and your specialist, supporting a solid ongoing doctor-patient relationship.

The Medicare Quandary

The initial changes to the health care system are expected to go into effect over the next year. This isn’t always the case if you rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or a Medicare supplemental. The expansion option has already started to affect recipients. Here’s how:

In preparation for the large-scale changes to national healthcare that are expected in 2014, Medicare and Medicaid have offered state government the option to accept an expansion plan. Will the plan affect your ability to see an insurance covered cardiologist? It is highly likely, yes.

Patients with preferred provider coverage will find their limits first. You are paying a monthly sum for the freedom to choose doctors, but not only can that premium fee increase, you may be required to cover as much as half of each appointment cost. This is in addition to any co-pays or additional charges that your insurance doesn’t cover.

You do have a chance to forego the preferred provider coverage, but you have to do so by a certain annual deadline. There are exceptions to this rule, but only an insurance representative can find out if you qualify for an exception under the pre-set policy guidelines.

We recommend checking with your insurance provider to find an insurance covered cardiologist. That way, no matter what happens, you know the financial responsibility that you hold for your care.

Living Without Insurance

Quite a few Americans have no formal health insurance coverage. When it comes to treating something like heart disease, its a good idea to review your coverage options before things get unmanageable.

Talk to your specialist about creating reasonable payment plans and find out about options like healthcare credit or in-house financing. Approaching the cost of your care candidly and head on will help you construct a plan with manageability that remains amendable and cost-effective.

So whether or not you find an insurance covered cardiologist, you do have options to receive the care from the top cardiologist you select. The best thing you can do for yourself is to persevere. Find providers that will work with you so that you can receive the life-saving care you need.

Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site.  Call us at (212) 367-8000.

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