Dietitian, Registereds in Chicago, IL

Clinicians per 100,000 residents compares places of different sizes. We count active clinicians who list a practice address in the area in the federal NPI registry (NPPES) and divide by the number of people who live there, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. rate is the same calculation for the whole country.

A higher number does not mean it is easier to get an appointment, that wait times are shorter, or that care is better. It also does not show how many clinicians are accepting new patients or which insurance plans they take. A lower number does not by itself mean there is a shortage.

City counts use the city name in each clinician's practice address. That postal city can cover a larger or smaller area than the city limits the Census Bureau uses for population, and many clinicians list only one address even if they work in several places. Cities with hospitals or large medical centers often list more specialists than the number of residents alone would suggest, because patients also come from nearby areas.

A clinician who accepts Medicare assignment agrees to take the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for services that Original Medicare covers. You usually still pay your deductible and coinsurance. This comes from the CMS Doctors and Clinicians file and applies to Original Medicare only. Medicare Advantage plans have their own provider networks. It does not show whether a clinician is taking new patients.

Some clinicians are listed as "may accept assignment," which means they can decide case by case. Clinicians without an assignment flag, or who are not in the CMS file, are not counted as accepting assignment. That does not mean they refuse Medicare. Ask the office before your visit.