If you have a type of insurance plan that allows you to use any doctor, or if you are uninsured, you can locate a doctor for a second opinion through:

• Your primary care physician
• Health professionals
• Hospitals
• Medical schools
• Disease specific nonprofit organizations
• Support groups
• Family and friends
• The Internet

If you are restricted by your insurance policy as to the doctors you can see,  look to the insurer to help you locate a specialist for a second opinon. If you're not satisfied with the permitted doctors, negotiate for more choice.

If you cannot find an appropriate doctor in your area, consider traveling to a medical center and seeing a specialist there.

NOTE: If you have your health insurance through your employer, check to see if your employer has a program to help you find an appropriate doctor for a second opinion.

Primary Care Doctor

Ask your doctor for the names of board certified specialists experienced with your diagnosis and treatment. Ask why he or she recommends a particular doctor, and if he or she would refer one of her own family members to the individual for a second opinion.

Note: It may be best not to see partners or colleagues within the same practice. Doctors are often reluctant to "second guess" their colleagues and may adhere to the same treatment philosophy.

Professional Groups

If you are looking for a particular type of doctor, professional groups provide a helpful place to start. For example:

• American Board of Medical Specialties Certified Doc:  allows you to search by a specialty. The site requires free registration requesting your name address and e-mail address.
• American Medical Association 800-621.8335 click on Doctor Finder
• For Oncologists: American Society of Clinical Oncologists www.asco.org

Health Professionals

Ask doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals for the names of doctors who fit your criteria. They can often provide valuable "inside" information about the doctors as well. They may also be able to tell you which doctors to avoid.

Local Prestigious Hospitals or Large Teaching Hospitals in your Area

If such a hospital is nearby: Stop by and ask a nurse in the Emergency Room or in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or a hospitalist (a doctor who only works in a hospital) who she would use, and why. They should have a realistic fix on the quality of the doctors at that hospital.
If the hospital is not nearby: Call their doctor referral service. You will only receive a list of doctors who are affiliated with their hospital, but these types of facilities tend to attract the cream of the crop.

Local Medical School

Contact the medical school located closest to you. Explain that you are looking for a second opinion, the type of doctor that you are looking for and ask for recommendations.

Some instructors actually maintain their own medical practices and tend to be informed on the latest recommendations, procedures and treatments.

Local Disease Specific Non-profit Organizations/Support Groups

Both may be able to provide invaluable information about doctors because they come to the table with an insight with respect to your diagnosis and medical needs.

Family and Friends

Consider asking family and friends whose opinions you trust for the names of doctors who are experts in the area. Keep in mind that even though friends or family members recommend a doctor, we recommend that you do your own research about the doctor.

The Internet

There are many easily accessible sites about doctors on the internet. Unfortunately, there is no one-stop shopping. You can use the sites to create a list of potential doctors. These sites can help you compare the qualifications of doctors for which you already have names. Most services are free of charge. For example, Health Grades.com . (It is advisable to use consumer ratings as a tool rather than a decision maker. If a doctor seems to fit your needs, ask him or her why s/he is rated a certain way.)

If you have a managed care health insurance plan, such as an HMO or POS: the health plan will provide you a list of doctors from which to choose for a second opinion.

If there are no board-certified specialists in the network who have the expertise that you require, push your insurance company to let you see a doctor outside of the network plan.

Even if there is a doctor who meets your needs in the plan, consider getting an opinion from a doctor outside the plan, even if you have to pay for it. Doctor's in a plan will have the same restrictions about treatment options. Pay for it yourself if necessary. It's your health, and you're life, we're talking about. (Let the doctor know money is difficult for you and ask if he or she will discount your bill, or give you time to pay it. To learn more, see Uninsured.)

If you look for a specialist for a second opinion outside your plan, see the above section: Sources To Help Locate A Specialist For A Second Opinion.

If you have a Medicare managed care health insurance plan, such as an HMOor POS: the health plan will provide you a list of doctors from which to choose for a second opinion.

If there are no board-certified specialists in the network who have the expertise that you require, push your insurer to let you see a doctor outside of the network plan.

Even if there is a doctor who meets your needs in the plan, consider getting an opinion from a doctor outside the plan, even if you have to pay for it. Doctor's in a plan will have the same restrictions about treatment options. Pay for it yourself if necessary. It's your health, and you're life, we're talking about. (Let the doctor know money is difficult for you and ask if he or she will discount your bill, or give you time to pay it. To learn more, see Uninsured.)

If you look for a specialist for a second opinion outside your plan, see the above section: Sources To Help Locate A Specialist For A Second Opinion.

As a person with Medicare, you have an unlimited choice of Specialists for a second opinion, provided the doctor works with Medicare.

To locate appropriate doctors, see the above section: Sources To Help Locate A Specialist For A Second Opinion.

If the doctor you want to see does not accept Medicare, but is heads and shoulders above the other doctors you are considering, do what you can to pay for the second opinion yourself. Let the doctor know money is difficult for you. Ask if he or she will discount your bill, or give you time to pay it. (To learn more, see: Uninsured.)

If Medicaid in your state pays health care providers directly rather than paying premiums for health insurance policies: There is no central data base of doctors who accept Medicaid.

To locate doctors who accept Medicaid, contact your local Medicaid Office.

If they do not have a list, to locate doctors who accept Medicaid, contact:

• Your local hospital, particularly community hospitals. The better the hospital, the better their doctors are likely to be. Ask to speak with one of their social workers.
• A Local Disease Specific NonProfit Organization.
• Support Groups: If you are a member of a support group, other members may have suggestions about doctors who accept Medicaid.
• Clergy: Your local religious organization will likely know the name of doctors who accept Medicaid.
• Friends and Family: People in a situation similar to you may have doctors to recommend.

If Medicaid pays for you to have a private managed health care plan: If you have a managed care health insurance plan, such as an HMO, PPO or POS: the health plan will provide you a list of doctors from which to choose.

You may be limited to a choice of designated participating physicians or medical groups. Check your plan to obtain your choice of doctors. If there are no board-certified specialists who can provide you with the expertise that you require, you will likely have to advocate for yourself to see a doctor outside of the network plan. To locate a doctor outside the plan, see: Sources To Help Locate A Specialist For A Second Opinion.

If a doctor you want to see isn?t on the list, ask the doctor?s office if he or she would be willing to join your insurance carrier. If not, it could be helpful to you to learn why not. It may provide you information to watch for with respect to the doctors who are on the plan. If the doctor is willing to be on the list, speak with the insurance company and ask if the doctor could be put on their list. If the company says no, it may also be helpful to know why not.

Under a Private Fee-For-Service (Indemnity) Insurance Policy you have an unlimited choice of doctors.

To locate an appropriate specialist see: Sources To Help Locate A Specialist For A Second Opinion above.

If you don?t have the money to pay a Specialist For a Second Opinion: Go to a clinic at a university medical center or at the best hospital in your area. There may also be other clinics in your area to consider. You can locate them through your local disease specific non-profit organization or religious organization.

Your primary care doctor may also know of a doctor who would be willing to do him or her a favor and give you a second opinion. If you see the second doctor, keep the relationship between the two of them in mind. The second doctor will not want to contradict a friend. Remind the doctor as politely as you can that you are seeking a truly independent, second opinion.

If you do have money to pay for at least part of the doctor?s services: See Sources To Help Locate A Specialist For A Second Opinion, above.