Although New York City has no shortage of good neurologists, it is essential to find a doctor who accepts your insurance plan. Therefore for our CDPAP patients, we’ve put together a list of the best neurologists who accept medicaid.
What Do Neurologists Do?
Neurologists are specialists who study, diagnose, and treat disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscles, and the involuntary nervous system, such as:
- Severe or chronic headache
- Chronic pain
- Dizziness
- Stroke
- Brain trauma
- Dementia
- Seizures
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis
- Sleep disorders
- Nervous system injuries
- Memory problems
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Neuromuscular diseases.
The most common tests that neurologists use include:
- Computed tomography (CT) scans
- Computer-assisted tomography (CAT) scans
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Nerve conduction studies and electromyography (NCS/EMG)
- Lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
After performing the necessary tests, neurologists evaluate the patient’s condition and decide on a treatment plan. Patients who require surgery are referred to a neurosurgeon.
The 10 Best Neurologists in New York Who Accept Medicaid
- Dr. Michael Daras, MD
With over 20 years of medical practice, Dr. Daras is one of the best New York City neurologists. He specializes in treating neurological conditions such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Dementia
- Developmental disorder
- Headache
- Migraine
- Dizziness
- Vertigo
- Memory disorder
- Myasthenia gravis
- Neck pain
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Sciatica
- Stroke
In addition to his practice, Dr. Daras serves as a professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
Education and training
- Medical school – School of Health and Science at University of Athens, Greece, 1969
- Internship – Elmhurst Hospital & Medical Center
- Residency – NY Med Metro Hospital, Elmhurst Hospital & Medical Center
- Fellowship – Albert Einstein Medical Center
Hospital affiliation
- New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Weill Cornell
Awards
- New York Magazine Top Doctors, 2015
- Top Doctors New York Metro Area, 2016-2021
Dr. Daras’ practice
CUMC/Neurological Institute of New York
710 West 168th St
Room 246
New York, NY 10032
(212) 305-6876
Rating 4/5
- Dr. Cynthia Harden, MD
Dr. Harden is a board-certified specialist in neurology, clinical neurophysiology, and epilepsy. She diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions including:
- Meningitis
- Chronic headache
- Tension headache
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Obstructive sleep apnea.
With more than 38 years of experience in the field, Dr. Harden is a highly respected and established member of the international neurology community. She served as a chair of the epilepsy section of the American Academy of Neurology and Director of Epilepsy Services for the Mount Sinai Health System and developed guidelines on sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
Education and training
- Medical school – University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1983
- Residency in neurology – Mount Sinai Hospital, St Luke’s Roosevelt
- Fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology – Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Hospital affiliations
- Mount Sinai Beth Israel
- Glen Cove Hospital – Northwell Health
Awards
- New York Magazine Top Doctor
- Voted one of the top five epilepsy doctors in the United States, 2014
Dr. Harden’s practice
332 E 14th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 235-1199
Rating: 4.5/5
- Dr. Michio Hirano, MD
Dr. Hirano evaluates patients who suffer from myopathy and other types of neuromuscular disorders. His areas of expertise include:
- Muscular dystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis
- Myoneural disorder
- Neurometabolic disorder
- Neuromuscular disease
- Neuromuscular junction disorders.
Dr. Hirano is chief of the Neuromuscular Division, co-director of the CUMC Muscular Dystrophy Association clinic, and director of the H. Houston Merritt Center for Muscular Dystrophy and Related Diseases at the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).
Patients describe Dr. Hirano as a dedicated and approachable professional, with extensive knowledge of rare neurological conditions.
Education and training
- Medical school – Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1986
- Internship – NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi Medical Center
- Residency – Columbia University Medical Center, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
Hospital affiliation
- NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Dr. Hirano’s practice
Columbia University Department of Neurology
710 W 168th St
New York, NY 10032
(212) 305-1319
Rating 3.3/5
- Dr. Anna Iones, MD
Dr. Iones is board-certified in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. Her main focus is treating patients with various types of headaches and other neurological disorders, such as:
- Epilepsy
- Neuropathy
- Stroke
- Migraine
- Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Dementia.
Dr. Iones is highly praised for being thorough, professional, and attentive, taking time to listen to the patients.
Education and training
- Medical school – St. George’s University School of Medicine, 2009
- Internship – Long Island College Hospital
- Residency in clinical neuropsychology – New York University
- Fellowship – New York University
Hospital affiliation
- Morristown Medical Center, New Jersey
Dr. Iones’ practice
1035 Park Ave
New York, NY 10028
(212) 987-1000
Advocare Comprehensive Neurology
95 Madison Ave #103
Morristown, NJ 07960
(973) 455-7444
Rating 4.7/5
- Dr. Stephen Krieger, MD
Dr. Krieger has more than 20 years of experience as a neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis. Besides his clinical practice at Mount Sinai Hospital, he is an associate professor of neurology and director of the neurology residency program at the Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai.
Dr. Krieger is an internationally acclaimed expert in multiple sclerosis. He is well-known in the field for proposing the topographical model of multiple sclerosis, a new conceptualization model of the disease course.
Education and training
- Medical school – Yale University School of Medicine, 2002
- Internship – St. Vincent’s Hospital Medical Center of New York
- Residency – Mount Sinai Medical Center
- Fellowship in multiple sclerosis – Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Mount Sinai Medical Center
Hospital affiliation
- Mount Sinai Hospital
Awards
- Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, 2016
- Healthcare Professional of the Year Award, 2016
- George Forster Compassion Award, 2014
Dr. Krieger’s practice
Mount Sinai Hospital – Neurology
5 E 98th St
1st Floor
New York, NY 10029
(212) 241-6854
Rating: 5/5
- Dr. Yvona Griffo, MD
Dr. Griffo is a neurologist with more than 35 years of expertise in treating pain and other cancer-related symptoms. Her particular interest is palliative care for the management and treatment of symptoms that can compromise patients’ quality of life. She offers treatments such as:
- Pain medication
- Radiation therapy
- Invasive interventions
- Physical therapy
- Psychosocial support
Dr. Griffo supervises and teaches clinical fellows training in Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program. She actively participates in clinical research projects focusing on pain and symptom management and quality of life for cancer patients.
Education and training
- Medical school – II Lekarska Fakulta Karlovy/Charles University, Czech Republic, 1986
- Residency in neurology and psychiatry – II Medical School of Charles University Hospital, St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center
- Fellowship in pain and palliative care – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medical College
Hospital affiliation
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Griffo’s practice
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Ave
New York, NY 10065
(855) 883-6306
Rating 5/5
- Dr. Ruben I. Kuzniecky, MD
Dr. Kuzniecky is an internationally recognized specialist in epilepsy. He has taken care of patients suffering from epilepsy and complex neurological disorders for over 40 years. He is known as an attentive, empathic, and trustworthy doctor.
Dr. Kuzniecky also serves as a professor and vice-chair of Neurology at Northwell Health. His research is centered on the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and its applications in epilepsy. He was the first to recognize that mesial temporal sclerosis, a common cause for difficult epilepsy, can be identified with MRI scans. He also described perisylvian polymicrogyria, known as Kuzniecky Syndrome.
Dr. Kuzniecky has led several research projects in epilepsy genetics, outcome, and imaging and published 5 books, 40 book chapters, and over 300 journal articles.
Education and training
- Medical school – University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1981
- Internship – CSS hospital in Panama City, Panama
- Residency – Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Canada
- Fellowship in epilepsy/EEG – Montreal Neurological Institute, Canada
Hospital affiliation
- Lenox-Hill Hospital Northwell Health
Awards
- Best Doctors in America, 1995, 1998, 2002–2017
- New Yorker Best Doctors in the New York Metro Area
- American Registry’s Most Compassionate Doctor Award, 2013
- New York Magazine’s Best Doctor
- Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctor
- American Epilepsy Society Clinical Science Research Award, 2020
Dr. Kuzniecky’s practice
Lenox-Hill Hospital Northwell Health
130 East 77th St
8th Floor
New York, NY 10016
(212) 434-6400
Rating 4.8/5
- Dr. Kara Sheinart, MD
Dr. Sheinart’s interests include stroke epidemiology and the prevention of recurrent stroke. She has over 30 years of experience in treating patients with stroke as well as general neurology patients. Her clinical expertise includes:
- Brain hemorrhage
- Carotid artery stenosis
- Memory loss
- Transient ischemic attack
- Vertebral artery syndrome.
Dr. Sheinart has an active clinical practice as an attending physician at the Mount Sinai Hospital Stroke Center. She is also an assistant clinical professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Education and training
- Medical school – SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 1989
- Residency – Mount Sinai Hospital
- Fellowship in cerebrovascular disease – Mount Sinai Hospital
Hospital affiliations
- Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital
- Mount Sinai West Hospital
Dr. Sheinhart’s practice
Mount Sinai Hospital – Neurology
1468 Madison Avenue
Annenberg 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10029
(212) 241-7076
Rating 5/5
- Dr. Steven Pacia, MD
Dr. Pacia has been practicing neurology for more than 20 years. He specializes in clinical neurophysiology and performs procedures such as electroencephalogram (EEG), treatment of seizure disorders, and cranial trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital.
Dr. Pacia is often praised as an excellent clinician who is compassionate and cares for the well-being of his patients, taking time to listen and explain the details of the condition treated.
Education and training
- Medical School – Medical College of Wisconsin, 1987
- Internship – St Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers
- Residency – Yale-New Haven Hospital
- Fellowship – Yale University School of Medicine
Hospital affiliation
- Lenox Hill Hospital
Awards
- Top Doctors: New York Metro Area
- New York Magazine Top Doctors Castle Connolly, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018
Dr. Pacia’s practice
Northwell Health Physician Partners Neurology at Lenox Hill
130 East 77th St
New York, NY 10075
(212) 434-6400
Rating 4.7/5
- Dr. Melanie Shulman, MD
Over the span of more than 30 years, Dr. Shulman has been studying, diagnosing, and treating conditions that affect the nervous system, such as:
- Basal ganglia cerebrovascular disease
- Migraine disorder
- Multiple sclerosis
- Memory disorders
- Headache
- Epilepsy
- Brain injuries
- Dementia and related behavioral disorders
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Shulman serves as associate director at Barlow Center for Memory Disorders and clinical associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Education and training
- Medical School – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 1991
- Internship – Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge
- Residency – Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
Hospital affiliation
- NYU Langone Health Tisch Hospital
Awards
- Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, 2009-2014
Dr. Shulman’s practice
NYU Pearl Barlow Center for Memory Disorders
145 East 32nd St
2nd floor
New York, NY 10016
(212) 263-3210
Rating 4/5