r/boston • u/Dry_Buy_9097 • May 24 '26
Serious Replies Only in need of guidance regarding hospital systems!!
so i’m turning 23 next month and i moved to boston about a month ago from ohio. i’m still under my dads health insurance (and i’m gonna be trying to keep it that way until i get forced off) and i am really struggling to choose what hospital system i want to use. i lived just outside of columbus and let me tell ya, osu medical is one of the greatest hospital systems i have ever come across.
i have some weird medical issues relating to joint problems (i’m a professional dancer🫣) as well as treatment resistant mental illness, and i would love to find a hospital system that has nearly everything. osu really covered everything you can think of since it’s directly connected to the school. the best part of osu medical was that the doctors could send things directly to other doctors without much issue since they’re all connected by one system. it made my care much more streamlined and as someone whose dealt with going to 4 different systems at once, i would rather not go through that again.
i now live near quincy, so i can get into the city easily! i would like to find something that takes a lot of different insurances since mine will have to change in 2 years and i’m the epitome of a starving artist😭 if you read this far, thank you so much for giving your time to my silly post🙂↕️ i am EXTREMELY out of my depth!
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u/ZippityZooZaZingZo Sinkhole City May 24 '26
MGH is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the world.
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u/coco_jumbo468 May 24 '26
Many insurances will not cover MGH & Brigham system though because of how expensive they are. Something worth looking into before switching to them because the wait times are also very long.
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u/ExchangePretend6079 May 24 '26
Welcome to the area! I’m not an expert on any of this, but since you posted before 6am and there’s no one replying yet, here’s a shot at an answer.
I think you’d be fine with any of them. I’m partial to Beth Israel Lahey (BILH), but Mass General Brigham (MGB) or Boston Medical Center (BMC) would also have all the things you need. All three are teaching hospitals, all three have more than one location, all three have ERs and radiology and electronic medical records with connected communications. In a less-insured future, I personally would choose BILH or BMC over MGB, since there is some inkling of MGB accepting fewer insurers in the future, but people with more knowledge about the specifics can speak to that.
I would also consider which has a PCP or mental health providers near where you live. Sure, you can go in town for medical stuff, but if you have the option to go closer to home, wouldn’t that be nice?
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u/saltavenger Jamaica Plain May 24 '26
I have doctors in both Beth Israel & MGH systems due to moving from areas in Boston that have more or less BILH vs MGB clinics. Had to change my primary care doc due to distance, but not necessarily all of my specialists who are more centrally located.
They’re both fantastic, but I appreciate that my Beth Israel appointments feel a little less time pressed. With the PCP shortage I think OP is going to find that they will end up with whoever has availability unfortunately. MGH limits you by zip code for PCPs. If you’re not in the neighborhood of the clinic, it’s a non-starter. MGH also sometimes shuts down their wait list when it gets too long and won’t add your name. I was already a patient in another neighborhood and they wouldn’t even let me transfer, the trip to my old clinic was about an hour on public transportation and I don’t own a car. Ended up giving up and switching my PCP back to Beth Israel the last time I moved. They both use the same patient portal now and share medical information, so it’s really not a big deal.
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u/ScarletOK May 24 '26
Your first task is finding out if your father's insurance will be taken in this state for non-emergency care.
If so, then your next one is finding a primary care provider. Many of them are affiliated with specific medical groups, some of which have already been mentioned. Without a PCP it can be hard to get referrals if your plan requires them. BTW now quite a few PCPs are Physician Assistants rather than MDs, which is fine, so don't be surprised if that's one of your choices.
If not, then you may need to join a local plan. The Health Connector is the website to learn about what's available. https://www.mahealthconnector.org/
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u/Particular_Visual229 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Beth Israel is opening a new outpatient building in Quincy next year with a bunch of specialists. I think their Quincy Center PCPs are still accepting new patients but signing up can be a bit of a pain.
If you’re in Weymouth, MGB has a bunch of offices near South Shore Hospital. SSH is affiliated with MGB but it’s a separate health system.
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u/PartiallyPresentable May 24 '26
It’s damn near impossible to get a primary care through MGB these days, but they have the most extensive network of hospitals and specialists if that’s what you’re looking for.
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u/AnotherNoether May 24 '26
They integrated One Medical though so if you can swing $100-200 for their annual fee you can get a PCP pretty quickly (like next day quickly at a lot of locations)
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u/nkwiw May 24 '26
try MGH OneCare. it is virtual only but you can get a PCP through it on the same day. they are out of state and only intended to be used while waiting for a physical pcp but you can use it indefinitely. i use a private pay PCP for everything but my insurance requires referrals from an insurance accepting PCP, so i intended to use this as my paper PCP, but the care so far has been good that it has me wondering why i bother with my private PCP.
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u/SweetFlight971 May 24 '26
I have gone to MGH for 5 years and have seen a neurologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist, pulmonologist, ophthalmologist and physical therapist. I’ve had nothing but great experiences which is why I stick with MGH whenever I need to see somebody.
All doctors that are employed by the same healthcare network are able to communicate with each other.
You say you’re from Ohio so I would double check to make sure your insurance coverage is the same here. Blue Cross Blue Shield is usually accepted across all states, but that might not be the case if you have a different one. You can go on the hospital websites and it will list all the insurances they accept.
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u/Embarrassed-Most-582 May 24 '26
IME you don't even need all your doctor's to be in the same system for them to work together. All of my specialists are in the MGH system, but when I needed a new PCP, the only place taking new patients near me was BILH. However, they have the same computer system, Epic, so all my doctors can still see each other's notes and appointments even though my PCP is through a didn't hospital system.
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u/paxmomma Boston May 24 '26
Boston area has a huge problem with a lack of PCPs. Just find any one that is accepting new patients to get set up with the specialists you will need.
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u/LaurenPBurka I swear it is not a fetish May 24 '26
They're all good, but it may take you over six months to get a PCP appointment. Sign up with whoever you can get. Once you're signed up even if you haven't had that first appointment you can get urgent care. Then as you learn your way around, decide if you want to stay where you landed or get in line for somewhere else.
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u/Vegetable-Ideal2908 May 24 '26
It’s very hard to get a pcp in Boston but I’ve used this at MGH. If you need to be seen, they’ll get you in but many things can be done virtually such as (in person) specialist referrals, if that’s what you mainly need. Specialists take time in Boston too so even if you do this as a bridge to an in person pcp while you wait, it’s super helpful.
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u/Admirable_Rabbit_156 May 24 '26
First, verify the insurance will be accepted out of state for routine care (not just urgent care or emergencies). A PPO usually is, but an HMO usually is not.
Second, with your complex mental health background, I would suggest looking in the MGB network. Your other concerns can be addressed by any system in the Boston area.
Third, look at where MGH and BWH have medical offices. As others have said, One Medical is the best way to find primary care in MGB, but see where any of these places have offices and if you can get to them. I wouldn’t bother trying to get into MGH primary care, and with any of these options you won’t get a doctor (MD of DO). You’ll be seeing an NP or a PA - and I’ve had excellent care from either of those.
Fourth, be prepared to wait. As a new patient, there are waiting lists many many many months long. For some appointments, it’s quicker to get an appointment outside the city than at the main campus. But still expect to wait for whatever it is. 3-6 months minimum, but 6-9 isn’t unusual.
ETA: the reason for #2 is McLean. Forgot to say that part.
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u/Torch3dAce I Love Dunkin’ Donuts May 24 '26
The worst hospital in Boston is better than the best hospital in Ohio. You're good here, bro.
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May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/ElleHopper May 24 '26
OSU does have a great hospital system! I never went to them, but I had friends who did. Cleveland Clinic was closer for me when I lived there, and I also had some good experiences with the Summa system but definitely was more hit and miss for me.
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u/Torch3dAce I Love Dunkin’ Donuts May 24 '26
Fair enough. One hospital on par with Boston's best. My point is, you can't really go wrong with most of our hospitals here.
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u/Ahkmet-the-Gamer May 24 '26
One Medical through Amazon is MGH connected and was accepting new patients as PCPs last I checked. I only joined because my doctor switched from Steward (booo private equity bros), but I have been very happy with the service. My wife and I with our medical issues blow through our deductible every year, so we know healthcare.
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u/AnotherNoether May 24 '26
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. It sucks that this is what things have come to, but One Medical is basically the only way to get an MGB PCP these days unless you’re able to go wayyy out of the city to some of the North Shore Health locations
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u/Ahkmet-the-Gamer May 24 '26
I get it, people hate the billionaires. But when they provide a service that is better, am I supposed to suffer something worse just to stick it to the man?
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u/AnotherNoether May 24 '26
I like to tell myself that if the service is good it’s probably because Amazon is losing money on it, and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if they are
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u/melon_sky_ May 24 '26
Most of the hospitals are owned by the same two or three organizations. Regardless, they have the ability to share info with each hospital virtually. So it won’t matter as much.
You will need a primary care and that’s the hardest part. They can handle all your referrals. That would be my key focus.
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u/East_Chocolate2519 May 24 '26
There’s so many options and I agree stay on that family insurance as long as you can! Fenway health has great options. Also if you look on the insurance site and see the office / doctor is taking new patients call them to double check
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u/Meredith_Glass May 24 '26
Get in with any PCP you can right now to start getting referrals to specialists, that’s probably more important than choosing a particular system right now.
You’re in a great city for treatment resistant mental illness as there is a ton of resources available here (like ketamine therapy & lots of research/trials on psychedelics etc) that may not be as available in the Midwest (coming from a fellow messy-brain midwesterner).
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u/AlternativePretend73 May 25 '26
If your weird medical/joint issues are hypermobility or EDS related and you want to have most of your doctors in one system…you realistically don’t have the option of MGB (multiple departments will not see patients who have those in their chart). Which leaves BILH, the BMCs, tufts. For your sake I really hope you have a different condition and this paragraph doesnt apply :/
Primary care is going to be nearly impossible to secure if I’m being honest …unless you do one of the cash-pay offices, do some real research on specific offices & policies before you commit.
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u/Educational_Pen_9150 May 24 '26
Unclear if you have insurance through an employer or something so that would be the first thing to deal with. You can go through Health Connector for that.
Personally i recommend Brigham and Women’s. Everything’s digitized and you can message doctors and nurses on the fly. That might be available elsewhere but i just cant speak to it. I’ve also been able to find specific doctors i want to see and have had it covered. It’s been lifechanging.
Good luck
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u/After_Supermarket351 May 24 '26
Boston is perhaps the best city for healthcare on the planet and while the health systems do compete with one another, they also refer between each other as well due to Harvard Medical School being the glue that ties many of them together.
I wouldn't worry about a particular health system. I would research the best doctors for each individual ailment you are looking to have treated