How to Choose a Hematologist in New York

The short answer

Match the practice to your problem. For iron deficiency, anemia or an abnormal blood count, look for a board-certified hematologist who can see you soon, draws labs and gives infusions in the same place, takes your insurance and is clear about how they bill. For a rare blood disorder, a blood cancer needing transplant, or a clinical trial, an academic medical center is usually the right call. Whichever you choose, ask how soon you can be seen, whether a referral is needed, and whether visits are billed as a hospital outpatient department.

Your options in New York

New York has more hematologists than almost anywhere in the country, but they work in four quite different settings, and the setting shapes your experience as much as the doctor does.

Academic medical centers. The city’s teaching hospitals, such as NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, NewYork-Presbyterian (Columbia and Weill Cornell), Montefiore, Northwell Health and, for cancer, Memorial Sloan Kettering, have subspecialists in rare disorders, research programs and bone marrow transplant units. That depth matters most for complex disease.

Large community oncology networks. Multi-site groups such as New York Cancer & Blood Specialists see a high volume of cancer and blood patients across many offices, often with medical oncology, radiation and other services in one organization.

Independent hematology practices. Smaller physician-led practices, Premier Hematology among them, that concentrate on blood disorders, often with labs and infusion chairs in the same office.

Hospital outpatient infusion centers. These give treatments your doctor has ordered, such as IV iron. They are not where you get diagnosed, and they are often billed at hospital rates.

Premier Hematology vs. other types of New York providers

Here is how the settings compare on the practical things patients tell us matter most. We have tried to be fair, including about when we are not the right choice.

The Premier column describes our own practice. The other columns describe how each type of provider is generally organized, not any specific practice. Individual practices differ, so ask the questions below wherever you are considering.

Questions to ask any hematology practice before you book

“How soon can I be seen?” For an unexplained low blood count, waiting months is not reasonable. Ask for the first available new-patient appointment, not just “soon.”

“Do I need a referral?” Many practices do not require one, but HMO and some Medicaid plans do, regardless of the practice.

“Are labs and infusions done here?” If not, you may be sent to a separate lab and a separate infusion site, which adds visits and delay.

“Is this office billed as a hospital outpatient department?” If it is, you may see a facility charge in addition to the doctor’s fee, and your coinsurance applies to both. It is the question patients most often wish they had asked. See iron infusion cost and insurance in New York.

“Will you check my benefits before treatment?” A good practice confirms coverage and prior authorization and tells you your expected cost before the first infusion.

“Who will I actually see?” Ask whether your visits are with a board-certified hematologist and who follows up on your results.

“Will you send a note to my doctor?” Your primary care doctor or OB-GYN should get your plan and results.

When an academic medical center is the better choice

We would rather you end up in the right place than in our chair. An academic center is usually the better first stop if you have, or may have, an acute leukemia or another blood cancer that may need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant; a rare bleeding or clotting disorder; sickle cell disease needing specialized care; or if you want access to a clinical trial.

Many patients use both: an academic specialist for a complex diagnosis, and a practice closer to home for routine labs and infusions between visits.

Do you need a hematologist at all?

Common reasons to see one: iron deficiency or anemia that has not responded to tablets, a low or high white cell or platelet count, a ferritin that is very low or unexpectedly high, a blood clot without an obvious cause, easy bruising or bleeding, or an abnormal result your primary doctor wants explained. See when to see a hematologist.

If you have your lab report, our ferritin result checker gives a plain-language reading in a minute.

Your short list: what a good hematology practice should offer

• ✓Board-certified hematologists
• ✓A new-patient appointment within days, not months, for an abnormal blood count
• ✓Lab work drawn on site, so results come back fast
• ✓Infusions given in the same practice, close to where you live or work
• ✓A benefits check and cost estimate before treatment
• ✓Clear answers on whether visits carry a hospital facility charge
• ✓Results and plans shared with your other doctors

Find your nearest center

14 infusion centers across Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, Orange County and Rockland County — each with on-site lab work and next-day appointments.

Choosing a Hematologist in New York: Frequently Asked Questions

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