Do All Doctors accept Medicare/MassHealth?

Posted May 5, 2010 by Cheryl Barrett

I help my elderly uncle with his health care needs, so when he told me his back has been bothering him I thought we needed to see an orthopedic physician.  He went and saw his primary care physician in Florida and he agreed that it was time to see an orthopedist.  My uncle lives up here on the Cape all summer so I thought it best that we find an orthopedic physician up here on the Cape.
I started doing my research trying to find just the right orthopedic doctor for my uncle and was awakened with a stark reality.  NOT ALL DOCTORS ACCEPT MEDICARE/MASSHEALTH!  A matter of fact there were more orthopedic doctors in our area of the Cape that didn’t accept Medicare/MassHealth than did.  So I was faced with a dilemma, do we go with whoever accepts Medicare/MassHealth or do we go with a orthopedic physician that best fits my uncle’s needs and pay out of pocket?
The message I am trying to get across is: “Beware” when trying to find a doctor, especially doctors that specialize.  You will be surprised at how many doctors don’t accept Medicare/MassHealth, be prepared to either pay out of pocket or try and find a doctor that does.