Frequently Asked Questions

ColumbiaDoctors is the faculty medical practice of Columbia University Irving Medical Center; it includes more than 1,700 physicians, dentists, and nurses in more than 230 specialties and subspecialties. ColumbiaDoctors is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian, the No. 1 hospital in the New York area and one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

ColumbiaDoctors participates with most insurance carriers in the Greater New York area. Our practices in Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut are in the process of broadening their participation in location-specific plans. When you search for a provider on our website, you will see the plans in which that provider participates. Please call the office to confirm or if you have any questions, as this information is updated frequently.

Parking is available at every ColumbiaDoctors location. Valet parking and discounted nearby garage parking are available at our ColumbiaDoctors Midtown office, 51 W. 51st St.

For general inquiries, please call (212) 326-8500. Contact information for all of the clinical practices and healthcare professionals is available on the Find a Doctor website.

1. After creating an account, you can begin creating your case by clicking the green button on the patient dashboard or by calling us between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST at (800) 391-6920. We will ask you to provide an email address, basic patient information, locations of existing medical records, local physician contact information, and the question(s) you have about your condition or the patient’s condition.
2. Grand Rounds collects all of your medical records and chooses the most appropriate physician from ColumbiaDoctors to review your case. Our care team does the legwork for you. All of your information is handled securely to protect your privacy.
3. Your ColumbiaDoctors expert physician reviews your case and assembles your second opinion, addressing the specific questions you asked.
4. A member of the care team will call you to answer any questions you may have about your second opinion.

You might have received a new diagnosis, experienced a change in your health condition, or have been recommended for care. A second opinion will allow you to make a more informed decision about how to move forward with your care.

If you do not live within convenient traveling distance of our offices or if you would like a remote consultation from the convenience of your home, we recommend ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion. This service allows you to access the medical expertise of Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s physicians from wherever you are. Alternatively, if it is convenient for you to visit us for an in-person appointment and you prefer to do so, you may schedule a visit by calling (800) 391-6920. An in-person appointment may be covered by your insurance, depending on your insurance coverage.

You can conveniently begin the Second Opinion process online. To start, create an account. You will then be led through the steps of obtaining a second opinion. You can also call us between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST at (800) 391-6920. This process is coordinated by our partner Grand Rounds.

Grand Rounds helps ColumbiaDoctors deliver its second opinions. Before sending your information to the ColumbiaDoctors expert, the Grand Rounds team will gather your medical records and history. A medical expert at Columbia will then review your records, and provide you with a written second opinion.

ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion costs $800. This fee includes:

• The cost of our care team collecting all of your medical records
• A written second opinion from a ColumbiaDoctors medical expert

ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion services are not covered by insurance. They may, however, be paid through your Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account. Radiology and Pathology interpretations are not included in the above fee.

Payment is due when you submit your ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion request. We accept all major credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover).

Most health plans do not cover online second opinions or consultations. You are responsible for the cost of ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion. We will not file a claim with your insurance carrier, nor can we provide a procedure (CPT) code for the ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion service. The cost of ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion may, however, be paid through your Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account. We are happy to address any questions you may have about payment.

We do our best to deliver your ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion as quickly as possible. Our process is medically rigorous, personalized, and comprehensive so we can provide you with the highest quality service. The timeline can vary depending on how quickly we can collect all of your medical records from your various medical providers. It can take up to two weeks from creating a case to delivering the written second opinion to you.

No, you do not need to collect or send in your medical records in order to get a ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion. Our care team will collect all of your medical records based on the physician locations you provide us when we create your case. If, however, you already have all of your medical records on hand, you can send them directly to our care team when creating your case, which will expedite the process.

After carefully reviewing your Second Opinion request and your medical records, our partner Grand Rounds will determine which ColumbiaDoctors physician specialist is most appropriate to handle your online Second Opinion case. You may request a particular physician, and we will try to accommodate that request, but we cannot guarantee that specialist will be assigned to your case.

We do not currently offer ColumbiaDoctors Second Opinion to international patients. We encourage you, however, to contact Global Services for assistance, including help obtaining a second opinion.