As contentious as this year’s health-care debate has been, there was one thing everyone agreed on from the beginning: When you’re sick, you want the highest-quality care you can get. Our thirteenth annual Best Doctors list—1,119 names in 66 specialties in all five boroughs and several surrounding counties—is designed to help you find just that. Whether you need to find a general practitioner or a heart surgeon, there’s an excellent choice.

New York City offers every avenue of health care, the healthcare system is less structured than in many European cities but it is better than anywhere else in the U.S.

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) was created by New York State legislation in 1970 as a public benefit corporation. This group oversees the City's public health care system in all five boroughs. This system is comprised of 11 hospitals, 6 Diagnostic and Treatment Centers, 4 long-term care facilities, a certified home health care agency, and more than 80 community health clinics, including Communicare Centers and Child Health Clinics. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, MetroPlus, HHC operates a Health Plan which enrolls members in Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus. HHC facilities treat nearly one-fifth of all general hospital discharges and more than one third of emergency room and hospital-based clinic visits in New York City. This is the largest municipal hospital and health care system in the country.

To see a doctor you usually need to make an appointment first which may require you to wait for a week, or sometimes a month. Some doctors are already booked up and will not take new patients, but will refer you to another area doctor. When calling the office, the receptionist will find a date for you and usually ask about your insurance. It is expected that you pay a co-pay for your visit when you see the doctor depending on your insurance plan. American doctors tend to run many tests and x-rays to protect themselves from the chance of lawsuits which runs up costs.

Without insurance, even regular visits can be costly. There are clinics in NYC available to those with no insurance or low-income, but there is usually a long wait to ne seen and extra paper work to be filled out. The New York Free Clinic is an excellent facility that provides no cost health care services including specialty referrals, counseling, patient education, social services, and screening and registration for public health insurance.

Finding a good GP (General Practioner to see you in New York is not difficult, its just expensive. Make sure you have insurance before you attempt to register. As with everything related to health care the $ signs are in every doctor and receptionists eyes.. so the first question they will ask will be what cover do you have?!

This is the same for dentists.. be careful you dont get talked into having a completely new set of nashers (and a 101 x-rays) if you are new to the country and have a strong insurance plan.

Hospitals in NYC

Some of the best hospitals in the world are in New York. Check with your insurance company which hospitals are in your network before chosing where to go though.

  * Babies Hospital 622 W 168th St, (212) 305-2500
  * Beekman Downtown 170 William St, (212)312-5000
  * Bellevue Medical Center 462 First Ave, (212) 561-4141
  * Cabrini Medical Center and Emergency Room 227 E 19th St, bet. 2nd and 3rd Aves, (212) 995-6000
  * Coler Memorial Roosevelt Island, (212) 848-6000
  * Cooke Health Care Center 1249 Fifth Ave, (212) 360-1000
  * Cornell Medical Center 525 E 68th St, (212) 746-5454
  * Eastern Women's Center 44 East 30th St, between Park and Madison Ave, (212) 686-6066
  * Ellis Hospital, Schenectady
  * Eye, Ear, and Throat 210 E 64th St, (212) 838-9200
  * Goldwater Memorial Roosevelt Island, (212) 318-8000
  * Gouverneurs 227 Madison St, (212) 238-7000
  * Gracie Square 420 E 76th St, (212) 988-4400
  * Harkness Eye Institute 635 W 165th St, (212) 305-2500
  * Harlem Center 506 Lenox Ave, (212) 939-1000
  * Joint Diseases 301 E 17th St, (212) 598-6000
  * Lenox Hill 100 E 77th St, (212) 439-2545
  * Medical Arts Center 57 W 57th St, (212) 755-0200
  * Metropolitan 1901 First Ave, (212) 230-6262
  * Nicolas Institute (Sports) 100 E 77th St, (212) 439-2700
  * NY Orthopedic 622 W 168th St, (212) 305-2500
  * Roosevelt 428 W 59th St, (212) 523-4000
  * Sloane Women's 622 W 168th St, (212) 639-2000
  * Special Surgery 535 E 70th St, (212) 606-1000
  * St. Clare's 415 W 51st St, (212) 586-1500
  * St. Luke's 419 W 114th St, (212) 523-4000
  * St. Luke's Roosevelt Emergency Room 58th St and Ninth Ave, (212) 523-6800
  * St. Vincent's 153 W 11th St, (212) 790-1000
  * St. Vincent's Emergency Room 11th St and Seventh Ave, (212) 790-7997
  * Sydenham Neighborhood Family Care Center 215 W 125th St, (212) 932-6500
  * The Strang Clinic 55 E 34th St, (212) 794-4900
  * Thera Care Of New York Inc 5 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018-7912 (212) 564-2350
  * Will Rogers Memorial Fund 345 E 80th St, New York, NY 10021-0644 (212) 772-2630
  * Amercn Assn For Bikur Cholim 156 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010-7002 (212) 989-2525
  * American Friends Laniado Hosp 18 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036-4202 (212) 944-2690
  * American Medical Equipment Inc 71 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003-3004 (212) 627-0166
  * Areba Casriel Institute 500 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019-2902 (212) 247-5500
  * Bellevue Hospital Center 1st & 27th, New York, NY 10016 (212) 562-4141
  * Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward , New York, NY 10016 (212) 562-4331
  * Beth Israel Medical Center First Avenue At 16th Street, New York, NY 10003 (212) 420-2000
  * Cabrini Medical Center 227 E 19th St, New York, NY 10003 (212) 995-6000
  * Cabrini Medical Center 137 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003-8304 (212) 674-0220
  * Cabrini Medical Center 233 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003-2502 (212) 995-6900
  * Coler Memorial Hospital Admin 900 Main St, New York, NY 10044-0066 (212) 848-6300
  * Coler Memorial Hospital Info G , New York, NY 10022 (212) 848-6000
  * Columbia Presbyterian Medl Ctr 180 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10032 (212) 305-2500
  * Columbia Presbyterian Medl Ctr W 168th, New York, NY 10032 (212) 305-2500
  * Columbia Presbyterian Medl Ctr 161 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10032-3713 (212) 305-2500
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 515 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021-4871 (212) 746-1645
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 525 E 68th St, New York, NY 10021-4873 (212) 746-4106
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 521 E 68th St, New York, NY 10021-4870 (212) 746-6100
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 1300 York Ave, New York, NY 10021-4805 (212) 746-6546
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 445 E 69th St, New York, NY 10021-5665 (212) 746-6565
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 435 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021-5342 (212) 746-6983
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 1319 York Ave, New York, NY 10021-5304 (212) 746-1211
  * Cornell University Medl Cllg 420 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021-5320 (212) 746-1005
  * Dr Sammaritanz 520 E 72nd St, New York, NY 10021-4849 (212) 717-6759
  * Goldwater Memorial Hospital , New York, NY 10022 (212) 318-8000
  * Gouverneur Hosp Dgnstc 227 Madison St, New York, NY 10002-7587 (212) 238-7000
  * Gouverneur Hospital Diagnostic , New York, NY 10038 (212) 238-8000
  * Gouverneur Hospital Diagnostic 227 Mad, New York, NY 10038 (212) 238-7000
  * Gracie Sq Hosp 420 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021-3199 (212) 988-4400
  * Hosp For Jnt Diseases Ortho 301 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003-3804 (212) 598-6000
  * Hosp For Jnt Diseases Patient 380 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10010-5615 (212) 460-0100
  * Hospital For Special Surgery 535 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021-4892 (212) 606-1236
  * Lenox Hill Hospital , New York, NY 10001 (212) 434-2424
  * Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat 210 E 64th St, New York, NY 10021-7480 (212) 838-9200
  * Medicaid Bellevue Hospital 466 1st Ave, New York, NY 10016-9103 (212) 679-7153
  * Medicaid Gouverneur Hospital 227 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016-3405 (212) 238-7790
  * Medicaid Harlem Hospital 620 W 137th St, New York, NY 10031-8017 (212) 281-1240
  * Medicaid Metropolitan Hospital 1901 1st Ave, New York, NY 10029-7418 (212) 230-6583
  * Medicaid Presbyterian Hospital 622 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032-3702 (212) 927-2433
  * Metropolitan Hospital Cntr 1901 1st Ave, New York, NY 10029-7418 (212) 230-6262
  * Mount Sinai Medical Center 5th Avenue & 101st Street, New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6500
  * Natl Jewish Ctr For Immun 1500 Broadway, New York, NY 10036-4015 (212) 382-0711
  * New York Eye & Ear Infirmary 310 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003-4200 (212) 979-4000
  * New York Foundling Hospital 546 W 153rd St, New York, NY 10031-1001 (212) 862-3427
  * New York Foundling Hospital 590 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY 10011-2019 (212) 633-9300
  * New York Foundling Hospital 18 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011-4607 (212) 463-0022
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 520 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021-9800 (212) 746-2150
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 1307 York Ave, New York, NY 10021-5663 (212) 746-4080
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 525 E 68th St, New York, NY 10021-4885 (212) 746-5454
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 425 E 61st St, New York, NY 10021-8722 (212) 821-0500
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 525 E 68th St, New York, NY 10021-4885 (212) 746-5000
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 505 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021-4872 (212) 746-3303
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 420 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021-3104 (212) 434-5500
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 435 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021-5342 (212) 746-1431
  * New York Hosp Cornell Medl Ctr 449 E 68th St, New York, NY 10021-6305 (212) 746-1771
  * New York University Medl Ctr 550 1st Ave, New York, NY 10016-6481 (212) 263-5000
  * Paul Robeson Family Medl Ctr 140 W 125th, New York, NY 10027 (212) 316-3800
  * Saint Clares Hosp & Hlth Ctr 426 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019-6302 (212) 586-1500
  * Saint Judes Chld Rsrch Hosp 505 8th Ave, New York, NY 10018-6505 (212) 947-3740
  * Saint Lukes Roosevelt Hosp Ctr Amsterdam Avenue At 114th, New York, NY 10025 (212) 865-1131
  * Sloan Meml Kettering Cancer 1275 York Ave, New York, NY 10021-6007 (212) 639-2000
  * St Vincents Hosp & Medl Ctr NY 7th Av & W 11th, New York, NY 10011 (212) 604-7000
  * The Rogosin Institute 432 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021-4802 (212) 746-6972
  * The Rogosin Institute 505 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021-9809 (212) 746-1551
  * Urgent Care Center at New York Hospital 525 E 68th St, between York and the E River, (212) 746-0795
  * Veterans Administration 408 First Ave, (212) 686-7500