This guide will help you find a doctor in Buffalo, NY and in the surrounding suburbs.

The terms doctor, primary care physician, and provider can all mean the same thing.

Finding a doctor in your health insurance network

If you have health insurance, the insurance company will have certain doctors that their insurance will cover payments for in order for you to visit those doctors. So it is important to know if the doctor you are visiting is covered by your health insurance.

Your insurance will call the doctor you see on a regular basis as your Primary Health Provider.

The insurance companies will call the doctors that they cover payments for as the doctors who are in their network. So make sure that the doctor you want to visit is in your health insurance’s network if you want them to cover parts of the payment.

To check if a doctor is in your insurance company’s network, you can call and ask the insurance company, visit their website, or ask the doctor’s office before your visit to confirm that they accept your insurance. You often want to do both of these checks with the insurance company and doctor’s office before your visit to ensure your insurance is accepted.

Asking for a recommendation when looking for a new doctor

• Ask your friends and people you know for a recommendation for doctors
  • Asking family, friends, and other people you know about what their experience with a certain doctor was like is a great way to understand if this doctor is right for you
• If you already have a doctor but they are leaving the area, left your health insurance network, is retiring, or not continuing to practice medicine for any reason, you may want to ask your current doctor for a recommendation on if they know any doctors that would be right for you to visit

Find a provider in your health insurance network

If you don’t see your insurance provider on this list, look at your insurance company’s website and they often have a tool for finding doctors within their network on their website.

You often need to make an account with your health insurance plan information before being able to use their tools to find a doctor.

• Aetna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Fidelis
• Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP) (Emblem Health)
• Independent Health
• United Healthcare
• WellCare

National & State provider databases

• Medicare.gov – National database of providers and clinics
• NYS Provider & Health Plan Look-Up – find providers in New York State

Buffalo-based resources

• Primary care providers in Erie County
• Low cost healthcare services
• Community resources available in WNY – this list is large, it may have what you are looking for

What to do when you find a doctor you want to visit?

Questions to ask your new doctor

• Is the doctor taking new patients?
• Is the doctor part of a group practice? If so, who are the other doctors that might help care for me?
• Who will see me if my doctor isn’t available?
• Which hospital does the doctor use?
• Does the doctor have experience treating my medical conditions?
• Does the doctor have special training or certifications?

Questions to ask about the office

• Are evening or weekend appointments available?
• Are virtual appointments over the phone or on a computer (telemedicine) available?
• What is the cancellation policy?
• How long will it take to get an appointment?
• How do they handle emergency appointments?
• How long do appointments usually last?
• Can I get lab work and x-rays done in the office?
• Is there a doctor or nurse who speaks my preferred language?

Do you want to continue visiting this new doctor?

After your first visit to the doctor, you are able to change if you feel like this doctor is not right for you. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself to understand how you felt about the visit:

• Did they make me feel comfortable during my appointment?
• Did they explain things in a way that was easy for me to understand?
• Did they pay attention to me?
• Did they show respect for what I had to say and listen to my concerns?
• Do they know important information about my medical history?
• Did they spend enough time with me?
• Did they give me a chance to ask questions?

If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, it may be a sign that you need to look for another doctor to visit.