Why are there so few developmental pediatricians, esp in Virginia?
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Anonymous
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It seems there are tons of patients and no providers-why is that?
I just called Hope Scott in Reston: she is no longer accepting new patients. I called the Childrens developmental ped group in Fairfax: they are completely booked through the end of 2012 and wouldn't even make an appointment or put us on a cancellation list. They put us on a "waitlist for future appointments" list. I called the Childrens group in Maryland and they also aren't scheduling any appointments. Friends have warned us off Polly Whatshername and this other woman who works out of her house in Springfield. Are there other developmental pediatricians that I don't know about? Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. |
Anonymous
| We see Dr. Charles Conlon in Bethesda and really like him. Worth the drive, no question. |
Anonymous
| You can probably get in to see Belsito pretty easily if you are willing to go to Bethesda. |
Anonymous
| OP-thanks. Does anyone know if Conlon or Belsito take insurance? (And if not, how much an initial evaluation costs?) |
Anonymous
| my initial eval with belsito cost $175. she didnt take insurance, but i submitted to my insurance for reimbursement |
Anonymous
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We see Conlon too. He doesn't take insurance, but they will file the claim for you. (You may want to check with your insurance company a month post visit to make sure the claim was filed and if not, call the receptionist with a gentle reminder). We got a decent amount back, but it was still much more expensive than going in-network. If you have a flex plan you can use that for the rest and then at least it's pre-tax dollars. We like him and feel he is helpful so we continue to see him.
Re:Va..we live in N. Va and it seems behind Montgomery county when it comes to SN. They have sooo many private schools that work with SN and we have so few. |
Anonymous
We see Dr. Belsito. She does take insurance (just probably not all insurances). Our initial eval with her was around $700. We paid our copay and nothing else. We are very happy with her care as well. |
Anonymous
Dr. Belsito is at the Pediatric Care Center in Bethesda. They take Cigna and perhaps one other (Cigna is listed on their website -- you need to call to find out the others). We are very happy with her too. http://thepediatriccarecenter.com/default.aspx |
Anonymous
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We see a doctor at Children's in Fairfax. We were initially told there were no openings, but got in because we were able to fill a last-minute cancellation.
Also, I've heard that it's better if your regular pediatrician calls to schedule the appointment. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| I know, so frustrating! We ended up with Dr. Shapiro and think it is totally worth the commute. He does not take insurance but so far we have had no problems submitting for reimburement. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
OP here-thanks for the recs. Any idea what Shapiro and Conlon charge? And any idea why the difference in rates for Dr Belsito? Our insurance only covers 'in network" so anyone not in network is 100% out of pocket (and we don't have the flex benefit unfortunately). It all sucks! |
Anonymous
| Shapiro charges $540? (off the top of my head so it these figures may not be correct) admin/testing/background fee before you get to meet with him. His office visits are $290 for 50 minutes. He charges $560 for school observations and our IEP meetings. Completely worth it, IMHO. |
Anonymous
| 7:50 here. Call the Pediatric Care Center to find out exactly what Dr. Belsito charges. I remember in the neighborhood of $400 but it was awhile ago. Since there are so many different numbers floating around, just call to get the right info if you are interested in seeing her. |
Anonymous
| op=thank you for all the info! |