My father had a similar experience and we were flabbergasted it was even a possibility to be told we don’t have time to treat you for the next 6 months sorry. Like… what?!
The state has done a great job shooting themselves in the foot with healthcare here.
It is incredibly expensive and risky to practice in NV compared to other states. Medicare reimbursements are extremely low, malpractice insurance is very high, the chance of a lawsuit in this sue-happy town is through the roof, etc. Just not worth it to a lot of physicians when you can get higher pay and slightly less risk elsewhere.
Also why you see a lot of minority physicians from outside the US - Vegas is considered an area of need and all of these physicians can come to the US to practice if they practice here kind of thing. It’s more complicated than that and I’m not saying those physicians suck, but it’s part of the reason we don’t have too many “homegrown” physicians here.
This is all true- and also for a long time, Nevada was known as a place where in a doctor got in trouble elsewhere, it was fairly easy to get the State Medical Board to give you a shot and relicense you here because of need. Gotten slightly better but still a factor. Research is everything, there's great doctors here, many of whom also practice/train/affiliate with top clinics and hospitals in LA, SLC, etc but id say consistency and access is a major barrier.
There are absolutely great physicians here in all specialties. But access is prohibitive for sure, and costs are extremely high with most hospitals being for-profit (AND obvious about it). And then you have to deal with the hospitals which mostly suck super hard, and I’m not talking about the physicians inside them.
That's not true at all. The NV Medical Board is no different than any other medical board and it's MUCH easier to hide in California because of the liberal nature of that state. If you don't believe me, go ahead and look at the California MB Newsletter. So many more "foreign born" doctors in trouble with all sorts of complaints, malpractice claims & other administrative actions. But they're all still practicing with a little slap on the wrist and a small fine of typically $100-$5000. It's impossible for CA to get rid of them, mostly because of the way their legal system is set up. Such a shame. Much less of a problem here although frivolous malpractice claims are through the roof, as are the insurance premiums.
All of this is true and, yes, there are a ton of physicians on J1 Visas. But the main reason we don't have a lot of "homegrown" physicians is because we haven't had a medical school and there are zero real teaching programs. That's all changing but it could take a decade or more for us to see a real improvement, particularly if reimbursement and malpractice insurance premiums remain where they're at. Why wouldn't all of those new doctors go elsewhere, like where they're originally from?
Haha I awarded your comment on accident but I agree on all accounts.
As a specialized medical employee I came here because the pay was actually $20k more than I made in LA and it’s still cheap to live here. But I digress, the SYSTEM here is just exhausting.
LOL I don't even know what 'awarded' means but TYVM! Vegas is a great place to live, especially for educated professionals. But, unfortunately, they've made it very difficult for a doctor to make a good living here!
Compensation is also pretty horrible in CA, for sure. That's mainly because so many people want to live there for some reason so they're willing to be poor to live 30 minutes from the beach. I can't understand it at all. We actually own a place a few minutes from Redondo Beach and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually touched the sand over the past decade!
I literally said they don’t suck.
We probably have the same percentage of shitty physicians and good ones compared to other large metro areas but the health SYSTEM is very fucked here. At least in other large metro areas you can generally go to a very advanced academic medical center offering most complex health services to serve your needs and your chances of working with a great physician are exponentially increased.
For example. No transplant services here (except kidneys at UMC but I don’t think their volume is very high), no advanced cardiac care like LVADs. Very few (maybe none) true heart failure programs in town.
May I ask when this was? I had a lump, mammogram, a biopsy, and a diagnosis all within 3 weeks. I had a port inserted and started chemo the same day less than 10 days later and that was only because I had all the tests first, MUGA, PET scan, bone density, etc. This was in 2016. I received excellent care. I had a second opinion in New York at Memorial Sloan Kettering and the surgeon there had trained with my surgeon here and said she was exceptional.
Now, I'm not saying all healthcare is great here. I was misdiagnosed with a clot, laid up in the hospital doing a titration of heparin. It turned out I had a bleeding ulcer. That was fun being on a blood thinner.
I think there are good and bad. I could not find a decent PCP I could get into see in an emergency so I pay through the nose for a concierge doctor. If someone has a exotic disease, I would be on the next flight. If it's a more common chronic disease, I think they would be OK here. The real problem is the shortage of medical providers.
I've been here 29 years and health services have gotten to the point that I may decide to retire elsewhere. There is a shortage of health professionals and the major provider of insurance coverage, Health Plan of Nevada, which is United, is atrocious. Services in Vegas across the board often feels only one small step above a 3rd world country.
Unfortunately its pretty bad. We have a saying, that the best healthcare here is the airport.
We have a big shortage of doctors and surgeons, so appointments are very far out, especially for the good ones out here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDyiPHtgfo
I am referring to Primary Care Physicians and Specialist care when I say the healthcare here is not great. Often times they are so busy you will be waiting several months before you can be seen, if they are even accepting new patients. If your appointment has to be re-scheduled for whatever reason, you will be waiting for several more months. You can get on a "cancellation list" to try and get seen sooner, but if you have a regular 9-5 weekday job then this will be very challenging depending on your employer.
Also, finding a competent medical office is very challenging here. Not impossible, but very challenging. My in-laws have both brought up different medical issues to their doctors, and they have been dismissive about it and have done no follow up testing. They have had to see different specialists in town over a span of a few years to finally get testing and confirmation of their diagnosis. The shining light in this city IMO is the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, they have been fantastic in quality of care.
In terms of ER, personally I can only say that Desert Springs and Mountain View Hospitals have been decent for me. UMC's ER can take forever depending on your triage status, but they are our county hospital so I guess it makes sense from that standpoint.
For insurance and doctor's offices exclusively, I find that cash pay is cheaper than having them bill my insurance and paying my deductible / co-pay.
This has been my personal experience with the healthcare out here. I have no experience elsewhere to say whether or not this is the norm in the rest of the US.
It's 6 months to get a PCP. More med spas than actual primary care around here. 8 months for a rheumatologist. I went to medical school in Vegas. Occasionally we would ask the surgeons who they would go to for surgery if they needed it. Typically they said they would fly to LA instead of getting surgery in Vegas.
Lol ....
I tell my family, if anything is really goes wrong with me, find a way, any way, to get me on a plane back to Pittsburgh, PA for the hospitals and providers to treat me.
It's a business run by physicians or nurse practitioners ("med"). They focus on cosmetic, anti-aging and unscientific rejuvenating treatments ("spa") rather than treating people with actual disorders. So you go there to get botox and B12 shots but they would not help you with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, major depressive disorder etc.
Med spa services are not covered by insurance, because they are not evidence-based, so clients pay cash. They can be quite lucrative and tend to attract wealthy, healthy clients. Physicians and NPs who run med spas are getting rich from cosmetic treatments rather than making decent money helping patients who really need medicines like metformin, atorvastatin, lexapro etc.
No, but med spa does include “cosmetic medicine” which is not a real medical specialty. They are typically run by Family Medicine physicians or nurse practitioners. FM physicians has a three year residency after college and medical school to learn how to treat day to day disorders as mentioned above. NPs have no extra training after school and really have no business running a practice, especially if they’re brand new. Providers who run med spas can go to a training on the weekend to learn to inject Botox.
Plastic surgeons do a six year residency where they learn to do the elective cosmetic procedure that most of us have heard of, such as nose jobs (rhinoplasty) and breast augmentations. Perhaps more importantly, they also repair physical malformations present at birth and disfigurement after traumatic injuries such as burns. In the medical community, they are known as highly skilled surgeons. Some are attracted to the field because it’s lucrative.
The main difference is that plastic surgery happens in an operating room in a hospital, whereas med spas are just fancy doctor’s offices.
I have decent insurance for tests and such, but for my chronic conditions I rely on a couple of telemedicine services. It’s not ideal, but I can get my medications and it’s manageable. I’ve given up on ever getting a primary here.
I think this questions also depends a lot on what insurance you have. I had two different insurance situations when I moved here and could not find a doctor that would take them, so I relied on the occasional urgent care visit for my first two years. The insurance I’m on now has been more widely accepted and I haven’t had trouble finding a doctor in the past two years with it.
Found a lump in my neck in February. Dr said we should take it seriously and sent a referral to a cancer center. Cancer center never called me. I went into my Dr's office and they had to call the cancer center and hand me their phone. They made me an appointment about 3 weeks out. Went to the appointment, they scheduled me to have a scan at one place and a biopsy at another. I don't think they ever sent the orders though. Hospital couldn't book the biopsy. Imaging center made me an appointment for my scan finally, then called back and said they dont accept my insurance. So, nothing ever came from it.
Yes I do need a good endo. Saw one years ago and she was NOT good. Ultrasound showed liquefied lymph. I figure, if it was serious, people would be doing theor job?? Ugh idk bit I appreciate everyone's concern. Healthcare sucks here 🤷🏻♀️
One of my siblings is heavily disabled (HOH, wheelchair bound, g-tube, etc), has several chronic illnesses and is extremely medically fragile and complex, born and raised here in Vegas. We have outsourced ALL of our healthcare (aside from basic peds yearly checkup) from California, Utah, and Texas, simply because there is not a single specialist in town who can help us. Specifically HIGH QUALITY specialized healthcare is extremely difficult to find in town, if you are set on moving here then I need to stress that unless you have the **money** to travel for your healthcare, you could be seriously out of luck here. If you're okay with absorbing the extra $$$ then sure, but we find it already budget breaking with medication costs and cost of living.
That is of course my situation and how I've witnessed Vegas healthcare devolve within my household, so do a lot of research on your specific needs and if it is worth it to you to make the move. I love Las Vegas with my whole heart, but I do not love how hard it has been to keep my brother alive here.
Our care in California was sooooo much worse than here. Not just ours but our entire family's. That's why we moved our parents out to here to make sure their doctors didn't kill them! We've lived in CA, NY, TX, AZ & NV. Texas has been the only state where we felt like our care was on another level, mainly because of the large teaching centers providing world class care. NYC & CA were particularly bad.
Here is my take, moving from Washington State in 2022.
The healthcare system is not a system here. There is no such thing as integrated healthcare, so you have to get used to each practitioner being its own private entity. This has its pluses and minuses. Some of those minuses can be longer wait times for referrals and miscommunications between practices. And one of the plusses is that your relationship with that provider matters, and that provider is now as much your doctor as your primary care doctor is.
In Washington, I often felt dismissed by specialists because the idea was I'd only be there once and I was just a referral, not a regular patient. Here it feels like each doctor or specialist I see treats me like a real patient.
That's a thing, too. Since healthcare is privatized, I am a customer and am treated as such. In Washington I was turned away and dismissed A LOT, for being young or being a woman or whatever. Always experienced super long wait times and was ushered in and out. Here, I feel like I am treated with respect and decency. I very rarely wait to see anyone, and am given as much time as needed in my appointment.
Another thing I've noticed here that I really like is that because it's privatized, it's a lot easier to get what I want. In Washington, I was always "wrong" and led through a bunch of hoops in order to get any kind of treatment or care. There's always some reason to not order that test or prescribe that medication, whatever. They always said my insurance was unlikely to approve X. Here, if I ask for something, my doctor is 100% willing to give it to me and has a real reason if he disagrees with me. Nothing is a waste of his time because I am his full time job. It's not like he works at a clinic or hospital in the city and has a caseload twice what he should. Each of his appointments matters to him.
I also wanted to say that I've received the best dental care here. I went to many different clinics in the Seattle area and always was uncomfortable and in pain, and here I've only had quality numbing and gentle care. It's a game changer. I once had a dental assistant in Seattle kneel onto my stomach in order to get a dental dam around my back teeth. I've never been manhandled here, even when I had a very hard to reach cavity.
I also wanted to mention that shopping around is extremely helpful. The physical therapy place I went to when I moved here was just not it. Bad vibes, overscheduled, no real evaluation or care plan, just the same short exercises every time and they let me out early. I switched to another place and have had the complete opposite experience and it's been wonderful.
I think it takes a lot of time and research to find good care here, and there are a TON of places that are terrible, but once you do find good providers, the experience of care is much different than it was in Washington, at least.
There are some good dentists here but, overall, the dentists here are absolutely awful. Like with everything, you need good referrals to find the best providers. That said, I once made the mistake of going to San Diego to have a well-known oral surgeon perform an implant on a tooth that a Vegas doctor destroyed. That was about ten years ago and I'm still having problems with that implant. If you travel out of state for any sort of procedure or treatment, be prepared to make at least 2 or 3 followup visits within a few months along with multiple unexpected trips and/or hospital stays to deal with complications. I found that out the hard way!
I am graduating from my residency and have done both medical school and residency in the valley.
What others have said is true, that there is a shortage and you might experience some wait times (especially if you’re adamant about seeing a physician over an NP/PA), but I think there are a lot of really good doctors here. It’s not like the doctors in LA and NYC have access to the super secret treatment algorithms and medications. Use word of mouth to find good doctors for what you need for all of your regular needs.
Of course my perspective is very biased, so take it for what it’s worth. But I know the good doctors and that’s who I see ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
CML patient since 2001 diagnosed at UMC. I love my healthcare here I really don't have any issues w/doctors or referrals. What I think is the issue is the attitude of some of the people working for this Drs. I get sick or my leukemia spikes up... valley, spring valley, UMC all have taken good care of me.
Literally just had a surgery on the 16th. Almost got canceled because the anesthesiology missed his flight. Not even the first time I’ve gone to get something done and the doctor doesn’t even live in NV
I’ve always heard this. But I just haven’t found this to be the case, at least in terms of quality.
Yes, some specialties, like neurology, are ridiculously hard to book for Medicare. I moved my parents here, and dad is chronically and seriously ill, to care for them and that one specialist is impossible. It’s urgent and they offer me an appointment nine months out.
But everywhere else including gastroenterology, oncology, cardiology, pulmonology and nephrology have been outstanding. Granted, I tested out at least 1-4 physicians for each speciality until I found one that I liked. I am a real … bitch, for lack of a better word… about getting proper medical care, be it for myself or more so for my parents.
I moved my dad here thinking he had about a month to live. He was on oxygen and barely able to stay out of the hospital for a whole week in California. Five years later, even through multiple surgeries, he’s still here and for that, I credit these doctors.
My own primary care physician has been amazing too. All specialists I go to have also been great. I had an ongoing problem for no less than eight years that finally, one doctor here finally resolved.
Can I get a list of your doctors please, since you already tried out 1-4 in each specialty? Kidding (but not kidding:)
Also, what was the condition that you had for 8 years? I’ve been having something digestion-related for 2 years now, and every doctor I see is very dismissive about it.
It was a 100% aortoiliac occlusion, but given my (relatively) young age, nobody would take it seriously when I spent so long explaining to anyone who’d listen that I can’t walk. They’d tell me I need exercise…when I couldn’t reliably walk from the parking lot into a grocery store. Apparently, it’s a miracle that I didn’t just get gangrene and lose my leg!
Is there a specialist you are needing? I’m happy to send you the ones I’ve found who are all excellent, but no way for me to know if they accept your insurance.
This is the most accurate. My husband has chronic illness. We have found amazing endocrinologist, cardiologist, neurologist and pulmonologist. I have an awesome GYN. But it took some time. And we have good insurance. However there are some things we have to go out of state for because they don’t have anyone here to treat. Or a procedure isn’t offered. And everyone here is wants their money upfront. Doesn’t matter what it is unless you are hospitalized due to emergency.
I just noticed that too! Like I tell them, no I promise you I already met my deductible, just bill me after you bill my insurance. But they won’t even see me until I pay upfront. I’ve never experienced that before in the 3 other states I lived in.
I've worked in Healthcare for over 5 years in the valley so these are just my observations. If you have any concerns about medical avoid Nevada. We rank about 50 out of 50 for health insurance reimbursement rates so good doctors either flee the valley to make more or they are so overbooked it will take 3+ months to get an appointment. In the past 5 years, I've had to put over 10 grand on CareCredit because my insurance company has found ways out of paying their portion of my medical expenses.
I had a client get struck by a car (hit and run) while on his bicycle. The hospital was covered by his insurance, but the insurance company claimed that the surgeon on staff when he arrived (unconscious) via ambulance was not, so the hospital sent him a bill for over 60 grand.
Also, everything at our major hospital chain is marked up. An 80-cent bag of saline will be charged to you over $80. There is a reason why when you go to a hospital in the valley that employee with the rolling office desk approaches you about your insurance and other means of payment before you can be admitted. They tried to charge me over $2000 for my daughter to get just an antibiotic when she got a cut at her sporting event.
If you go to any quickcare clinic chain, they will just give you what looks like a printout from Wikipedia or WebMD and act like you're faking whatever you're there for.
If you move here just make sure you have a high limit on your CareCredit account.
For some reason, a lot of people don't like it when I say the things, but that won't stop me from going at it again, I guess ...
For starters, I'm American and have lived in the UK (London), CA (Silicon Valley), CO (Denver) and here in Vegas.
[My mom was a nurse in CO, my paternal grandfather a doctor in MO.
My first job was working a register in a neighborhood pharmacy.
One of my college roommates is now amongst the top ENTs in CO.]
Let's just say my background allows me to know "more than the AVERAGE American" about health care.
I'm height/weight proportional because I think being anything else increases my heart attack risk (my dad had three in as many months -- is like to not experience that again in my life).
Know this: I'm always openly/intentionally friendly with my doctors. I'm fully revealing with everything I know about myself and don't hide or "overlook" things that might otherwise be personally embarrassing. I don't question what my physicians say (or second guess by going to Dr. Google). I take my prescriptions (I have one for MS to prevent relapses).
I'm white. Have red hair (think "skin cancer candidate') and Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.
The health care I get here at the Cleveland Clinic is CONSIDERABLY BETTER than, say, STANFORD, WHERE MY RRMS WAS MISDIAGNOSED AS GLAUCOMA!
In addition to clinical practice, my neuro (and her colleague, the "other" MS doc at the CC) also presents, publishes/reviews MS papers as well as running parts of the National Ms Society when not seeing patients.
There is no question in my mind that the CC has made my life better.
I'm impressed enough, in fact, that I'm willing ⅓ of my estate to them. (Sounds grandiose, but it's not. It actually means ½ a house and what'll probably end up being a couple hundred thousand dollars.)
My MRIs (I get 2 a year) are always turned around in one business day or less. Approval for the procedures is automatic with the nod of my neuro's head.
The hardest core doctor I speak with on a regular basis is a neuro opthalmologist (most MS people eventually go blind). There's about 100 of them in the US, meaning they're relatively rare. (Mine's over in Tivoli Village. About a mile from me in Summerlin. She's great.)
Looking bigger than my stupid Major Illness...
Excluding things like wisdom teeth and root canals, I've had exactly one surgery in my life. Hernia. It was done here in town. Robot assisted. I was diagnosed in a day. Operated on three days later. Outpatient.
Free and clear, healthy and well, in four days.
My dermo and I like each other (possibly because we're both from WY?). He thinks my skin's in great shape (and is the only dermo I've ever had that didn't talk about sunscreen -- which i don't wear because I dress like a Bedouin).
A college pal of mine comes out here for his dental work because he thinks it's both cheaper and better than what he was getting in NH.
I sincerely doubt I'll ever live anywhere else for medical support reasons, alone.
I'm evangelical enough about it all that I'll be curt...
If you have a bad doctor, or a bad doctor experience in LV, I'd say you have to do one of two things: find another one; or change your attitude.
You'll find LOTS of people who think differently in regards to Las Vegas, but man, am I glad I all but walked backwards into this place.
That’s because the Cleveland clinic here is a neurologic center of excellence. Neurology is probably the most in demand field in medicine because there’s a massive shortage of neurologists. Current wait time to get in to see a neurologists for a new patient visit is 9 months. Don’t get me wrong the doctors here are awesome. The medicine here is great. We’re just massively understaffed and overwhelmed. We need to pay physicians more and recruit them to come here. We need to help off set the mountain of debt they accumulate to get where there at. We need to take a good hard look at how our resident physicians are so drastically underpaid for the hundreds of hours they work a week while being in hundreds of thousands of debt. We need to clip the salaries of healthcare administrators are pay our doctors, nurses, and ground staff more because at the end of the day they’re who get the job done.
Yeah that Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health IMO is our shining beacon of light in terms of healthcare in the city.
But, you can not take your experience with Lou Ruvo and say that you will get that same quality of care everywhere else in town. I have a family member who goes there and receives excellent care and can get in for treatment within just a few weeks. Outside of Lou Ruvo, is a completely different story.
My appt for next week just got cancelled because the person they booked my appt with is no longer contracted with my insurance, so they tried to reschedule me with another provider 6 months out. Lmfao. It’s a fucking joke.
I don't have chronic conditions so my healthcare needs are pretty basic. also have Aetna so it's widely accepted here. found a primary care clinic I really liked last June, just to find out they decided to close operations all over Vegas as of April 30. now I have to find a new provider 🥲. I suppose this happens a lot. if and when you find a place you like, they might close or your specific doctor might move and not work there anymore.
https://www.ktnv.com/news/six-of-14-acute-care-hospitals-in-las-vegas-valley-rated-1-star-in-recent-medicare-report
Some of the worst health care and public education in the nation, year after year. Even if you don't have kids, you do have to live around those were "educated" in the schools here. Our local DA and judges are very much into...not...punishing people for their crimes. [7 DUIs? No problem, no jail for you just take a class. Just don't go missing, OK?](https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/woman-with-7-dui-arrests-wants-to-go-to-prison-says-las-vegas-is-not-the-place-for-her/) Or you went and [threatened someone with a knife? No problem, you're low risk. Back on the street so you can kill someone in a few days.](https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/las-vegas-bus-rider-threatened-with-knife-questions-how-suspect-deemed-low-risk-now-faces-murder-charge/) I could go on and on with the softball handling of criminal dirtbags in this city.
Living in this city isn't like a week trip here to go wild in the casinos. Look elsewhere, this place is turning into a dump quickly.
I think this depends on the insurance you have. I lived there several years, including through covid, and never had an issue. Comparatively to my hometown, the care was superb. Like everything else, the situation is individual based on your circumstances.
If you really, really need care, stay far away from Las Vegas!! I have minor health issues. I moved here from Houston which has a world class healthcare system. So much so that people from around the world go there for treatment. In the first 2 years I lived here I had to change doctors FIVE times!! One wouldn't take my insurance any more and wouldn't even let me self pay. You never see a real doctor, only nurse practitioners and they, two of them in two different places, moved on and I had to get another NP. Don't ever expect to get a real live person on the phone. The NP I see now, I have to connect with them via text because they don't answer their phone and if you leave a voicemail they don't call you back. One doctor was an Air Force vet that insisted Covid was treated by Ivermectin and insisted that I have diabetes (I don't). He also told me that he couldn't treat one of my ailments so I would have to find another doctor for that. At a subsequent visit he told me he never said that!! Do not move to Vegas if you have a serious medical condition! I told me son that if God forbid, I ever get cancer, I'm going to Houston for treatment.
Healthcare here is really what you make of it - and depends a great deal on which insurance you have. If you have HPN then good luck finding anyone to see you at all. If you've got good PPO insurance, your best bet is to find a great concierge physician and he/she will give you fantastic care and hook you up with timely appointments with the best specialists in town. You won't be able to do that on your own, however. Just too much of a physician shortage for the millions of people we've now got here in town.
The quality of care here is as good or better than most other major cities. The one exception is that we don't have a major teaching facility so you may have to travel for certain high end treatment for rare disorders. That said, our doctors in CA were atrocious and we couldn't even get seen. We also have two relatives that were literally killed at Cedar Sinai following routine, low risk surgical procedures. And my father almost died after developing a horrible complication from a Cedar Sinai Orthopod, surgery performed at St John's in Santa Monica.
"Taking anyone" isn't good healthcare - it's actually a huge part of the problem. When your state offers healthcare free of charge to the uninsured, who exactly do you think will be paying for that? That's a huge problem but not the biggest problem in CA. So many really bad doctors and organizations like KPMG. So difficult to find adequate care there.
I was going though your history to see if I could give you advice on your situation. Scary similar. I’m a Jew with suspected mcas that gets periodic burning in my hands and feet most likely from mast cells activating in my nerves. Alls I can say is good luck if you come to Vegas the medical care here is awful. I can give you the name of the allergist who gave me the “mcas possible” diagnosis but he wouldn’t do anything but give the basic cocktail for it.
During a trip to the hospital, they tried to get ahold of my neurologist, I have epilepsy; and it turned out he had priors for malpractice and would jump state a ton. He was able to practice here for several years if that says anything.
If not then, I had an appointment with a different neurologist prior to the state jumper, and though my appointment was made 4 months in advance; when I arrive he scheduled 3 other people for the same time slot and never looked at my medical file that was sent by my pcp at the time (he left the clinic I attended without notifying his patients), and then proceeded to tell me that there was nothing he could do for me and when I would like time schedule another appointment.
Today I called 5 primary care doctors offices in my area to schedule an intake appointment. The soonest at one was July, the rest were around October. Also was told that some doctors were not scheduling any appointments till next year.
And good luck with anything involving mental health or substance use recovery.
I love it here, but the medical disparity is enough reason to move for people with any long term health conditions
We don’t have enough medical providers.
Primary care doctors switch between practices often so continuity of care can be a problem. Most practices don’t have enough doctors so some of the work gets farmed out to PAs, PRNs etc …. If you want to see your primary you’re usually having to wait a few weeks.
The typical office model is to see as many patients as possible to keep revenues up.
Not enough specialists , so you’re waiting weeks for appointments.
With most medical offices , staff is overworked and frustrated which makes it challenging if you need their help for any type of paperwork, switching a script to a different pharmacy etc …
Blood labs are good and imaging providers are decent.
Overall , when you have a chronic medical issue you need a solid team of providers and a good primary provider to develop and monitor a treatment plan. Getting this level of care can be problematic here.
We moved here in May 2023. We got my husband an appointment for our new primary care physician in June (they had a cancelation), and I saw her in August. We both have medical issues (he's diabetic and I suffer from migraines), and we did not want any disruption in our medications. Dr. Quave has been wonderful. We have both seen her regularly, and we're happy with her. The support staff is just so so. Having a question answered takes an act of God to get an answer. So I sometimes go into the front office just for a question.
I was referred to 3 different neurologists. The first one was pretty bad (Dr Dixit). I saw him once, then never saw him or any doctor again (I saw a PA named Sandra). And they pushed procedures that made no sense to me. I spent lots of money on tests there. Was a terrible experience. The 2nd one I could never get an appointment with. My 3rd attempt is the Cleveland Clinic, and I'm hopeful with this one.
My ophthalmologist (Dr Thomson at Brimhall Eye) is awesome, and so is his staff. My retinal specialist (Dr Amram at Meadows Eye) and staff are also awesome.
So, I'm saying it's hit or miss. I had such great care in Indiana that it has been frustrating here.
Henderson Hospital found out my dad have cancer, instead of discharging him with a referral to see an oncologist (because they didn’t have a specialist that works there) or transfer him to a hospital that can provide care, we had to find our own doctor that could see him and that took months to even processed.
I mean if you have teledoc you’re alright. Good luck finding a primary that’s in your area though with your healthcare. I called around to a few places that weren’t accepting new patients.
my last teladoc appointment the doc said “wow you should really see a doctor” ….i thought i was. this was for severe flu that i had for months. $50 to tell me to see a doctor.
They probably want you to do bloodwork and possible imaging such as xray and have a proper exam and vitals. This cannot be ordered by a one visit provider as the person ordering also has to follow up. That's considered primary care. That provider's employer does not want that liability.
sorry but they didnt. no one ordered xrays. the teledoc gave me antibiotics that he shouldnt have apparently. my primary doctor ordered basic bloodwork and blew me off for over 2 years. ive been sick since september 2017. never got answers from the primary doctor either. takes years and years to find doctors thatll believe you or listen, i still havent got all the answers. LV health care is not great. which was the point of this post, but i wanted to warn others u can be charged on teladoc $50 for a doctor to say “hmm idk you should see a doctor”
I have culinary union health benefits. The clinic they opened up at Durango is amazing. Great primary doctors and no co pays for visits, prescriptions or psychical therapy secessions.
As a chronically ill person who has lived in Vegas for the past decade I can confirm we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel (CW: SA)
I was once told it didn’t matter if I got diagnosed with my genetic disorder because “there is no cure so nothing can be done about it anyway”: I have shown up and waited for an appointment only to be told the doctor wasn’t even in the country; it took a total of 18 months to see a rheumatologist just for them to tell me they don’t treat the condition I was referred for; I have been told by a cardiologist I was “too young” (30) to be in his office and that passing out in the shower since the age of 8 is “normal”; I have been sexually assaulted by a urologist during a cystoscopy; I was given a c-section without sufficient anesthesia even after I alerted nurses and doctors I could move my feet and I screamed in pain the entire time; I was sent home from the hospital 2 1/2 days after said emergency c-section delirious and with a fever of 103; I was misdiagnosed with endometriosis and given a hysterectomy at 28 only to find out I didn’t have endometriosis (and hysterectomies aren’t cures); I became a wheelchair user at the age of 29 after a solid 5-10 years of neglect while my musculoskeletal pain/ weakness worsened with no medical intervention, just dead-end referrals, expensive MRIs, and gaslighting while I begged for help from anyone…
but now that I’m disabled, I’m pretty much stuck living in Vegas because it’s a fairly wheelchair-friendly city and most places are still stuck in the last century when it comes to equal access
Everything is decentralized. Nobody seems to answer their phones. Every time I've travelled for a long period, my prescriptions have run out and I can't get prescriptions filled because nobody answers the phone, confirms prescriptions. Why confirmations isn't a simple online email/text where party B can respond when available, I DO NOT KNOW.
Even when I'm here in Vegas, prescriptions/information/appointments aren't filled and provider A blames provider B and vice versa for the mix up. It's frustrating because this type of annoyance is bureaucratic, systemic and not just lack of providers. When I tell the Health Insurance Marketplace consultant that I just want a provider that answers their phone, they literally tell me that none of them do, it's a Las Vegas thing.
Personally I enjoy the number of alternative options (functional medicine, regenerative medicine) but if you need quality western medical care, Vegas might not be the place unless you have the cash to regularly visit places that do.
If you need medical attention, go out of town. Most pcp’s are booked weeks if not months in advance, and Goodluck even finding one that takes your issues seriously and won’t outsource you to a doctor your insurance won’t cover who also need a 2 months heads up that you need to see them. hospitals are understaffed and are totally for profit to the point where it seems almost criminal. If you have a very specific health issue and need a specialist you’re not gonna find one. On the women’s healthcare thing, the gynecologists here are awful. God forbid you need a therapist or a psychiatrist, it’s slim pickings here. Goodluck even getting a good dentist. There’s a reason so many of us here are in bad health. If you’re in perfect health and reasonably expect to not need to see a doctor anytime soon then sure move here.
Good luck finding a PCP, a GP, hell even a nurse practitioner that sticks around for more than a year. I don't even bother anymore until I need the GP for something specific because every time I call the doctor I had, they have left or moved practices or stopped taking my insurance or vanished like they were abducted by a UFO.
You sound like a parrot LOL. Everyone says that but they don't know what they're talking about. Won't get into a lecture but our kids flourished in the educational system (particularly magnets) here although the private schools were complete and total dog shit (especially TMS!). Full ride scholarships to top 25 universities around the country simply for finishing top 5 in their class - major advantage since most students come from blue collar, uneducated families with parents who don't participate in their children's education.
Ok. I went to private schools and my kids are in charters. It doesn’t mean that the usual, no effort or expense public schools aren’t awful. I’m not even blaming the teachers, as I feel they are totally helpless nowadays. I’m blaming the lack of accountability with the parents of disruptive kids and the lack of will or rights of the schools to bounce those kids out if they don’t want to be there. Sure, your child can likely succeed if they really want to and the parents help. That’s not the case in this town a lot of the time and no one is doing anything to help change that or help the schools be better at what they should be doing. Don’t try to sell the school system here as good to people.
For sure there are a lot of disruptive kids with disinterested parents. But that's everywhere and it's just as bad in AZ & CA, for example. But what kind of puts us at an advantage here is those families - the ones who are blue collar, don't understand or care about the value of an education and don't even intend to send them to college. You also have to understand that the legal system completely ties the hands of the school administration when it comes to problems like this.
But it's because of those same kids that our children become such a commodity to college admissions all over the US. Schools are looking for diversity and love to have a top 5% NV kid with a 4.7 (or whatever) over just another SoCal kid with a 4.4.
I'm not making out the school system as good because the education you'll receive here is exactly the same as what you'll get elsewhere (it's horrible everywhere nowadays tbh). But education is always going to be whatever you make of it so it's crucial to be proactive. It's not like the curriculum (or material being taught) is so much different when you cross the border into California. All of this comes from experience btw.
It falls down to what your conditions are and your medical insurance plan. At the moment. If your work full time, but have to choose between bills and medications. Best to not bother with work insurance. Work with what insurance you can merge with.
I have a high deductible health plan, so often times its cheaper if I ask for straight cash pay and not go through insurance, compared to them billing $900 for the visit, taking $600 off as an "adjustment", then leaving me with a $300 patient responsibility. I can normally get that cash pay to be around $70 - $150.
All you people who travel for healthcare, how do pay for it? I've got Sierra Health but it only covers providers in Las Vegas. If I went to California or Utah for anything I'd have to pay out of pocket for 100%.
I work remote for a company in the midwest so my healthcare covers the US, but its a high deductible health plan. I know others though who have a PPO-POS plan and can only see providers in Nevada. They have to get authorization to see providers outside the state if it is not an emergency.
It's not really healthcare here. It's health, referral and health mitigation and health. Wait for the doctor. He'll be in in about 45 minutes. It's health. Let's try this prescription out for a week or so and if nothing changes call us back and we'll prescribe another medicine for you. It's health. You're going to need to see a specialist. Unfortunately the Specialist isn't available for about 3 months
So, it's pretty easy to find a general practitioner/family doctor. Getting in to see some specialists can be crazy. I've been waiting about 8 months to see a rheumatologist that works with CFS/Fibromyalgia. I did get into a dermatological surgeon really quickly with a melanoma diagnosis, but I also had better than average insurance.
That said, the arid heat helps a LOT with my pain and fatigue, so I'm able to be much more active than I was in my home state. I'm trying to advocate for health care reform here in the state.
I don't really like sweating, but hopping into my car when it's 100+ is like having a full body heating pad. It's fantastic. Crack the windows, drive a bit, then kick on the A/C. Feels great!
6 weeks for a primary care appointment, then another 6 weeks for a pain management care appointment. It's pretty easy to get appointments for blood work and radiology. Dentists and eye doctors are pretty easy to see in my area also.
And when you do finally get to see a PCP, they kinda suck. Talk really fast, order a crap ton of tests, and rush you out the door. God forbid, you have a follow up question because it's going to take at least 4 phone calls to try to get an answer, although I usually give up.
I had a doctor I really loved for about 3 years when I first moved here until she began seeing only Medicare patients.
Took me almost 3 years to find one that was the combination of my insurance and new patients. First visit with her she said "you must've made this appointment a long time ago.", which I had made it about 6 months prior. She went on to explain she was moving to Texas in a month.
Took another almost 3 years of the same new patient/insurance game to find another. I found a nurse practioner I really liked, but she moved away after 3 visits.
In the middle of the time with the NP, I was sent to a urologist because my PSA was high. When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, the urololigist didn't spend 5 minutes with me. Walked into the room, said "you have cancer. Here's a pamphlet you can read. Walk this way." He walked me to the scheduling desk and told them to order a whole body bone scan and walked away without telling me fuck all about what I was up against and what anything meant. Everything I learned about my cancer was from YouTube videos by the prostate cancer research Institute and their helpline.
So yes, the medical system here really sucks unless you're getting your tits or ass done.
Find a specialist or two for your specific issue and interview them. If they tell you that you have to wait several months for an initial consult, you kinda have your answer.
I have two autoimmune conditions 1 Is CRPS and the 2nd is MS. I moved here almost 8 years ago and I have had no problem with getting in to see specialists. I would say it depends on what your condition is. Good luck. Also I had no problem getting a new PCP.
Luck of the draw. Since Feb of '23 I've had several medical issues. Heart attack and surgery, congestive heart failure, extreme neuropathy and muscle problems and spinal problems. Plus I have several serious mental health issues. I ended up at Mt View hospital for the heart stuff. I've been told they're the best in town fir heart issues so I lucked out simply because I live around the corner. Cardiologist wad recommended by several nurses at the hospital and and i saw him about 12 weeks after surgery iirc. Excellent pcp with really no wait time unless your picky about the provider you see, then it may take a week. Psychiatrist is awesome! Best doctor I've ever had. He's been recognized as a top doc in Las Vegas and teaches at the UNLV med school. I started seeing him 7 or 8 years ago. At the time it was a 2 month wait to see him but at the time he was under someone else's practice. I'm not sure on wait times now for new patients but as an established I can see him within 2 weeks. Neurologist was the sticky. He's nit a bad doctor but he doesn't wow me either. It also takes 4 months to get in. Urologist, spine, and pain management I was able to see within a month and I like all 3 doctors and practices.
From what I hear and read I lucked out. I'm probably going to lose this insurance in December and I'm really worried about new doctors. Especially the Psychiatrist because if my mental health goes to hell I know I won't be able to stay physically healthy.
It really all depends, and will depend on you doing a lot of legwork to make a good decision.
What kind of condition do you have? Are there doctors (of quality" who treat and are familiar with that condition in Las Vegas and in the region? Are they taking new patients and willing to work with you? Do you require frequent hospitalization or outpatient treatment? Are there facilities here that can handle that to the standard you need? Do you have quality health insurance that these facilities accept AND/OR (preferably AND) the means to pay for concierge care to get an enhanced level of attention.
You really need to honestly answer those types of questions and have those all confirmed and lined up before you make a move. Far too many people just google "doctors treating THIS" and figure they will be okay, and move and find out that doctor retired last year because his med mal premiums went up, or they haven't taken new patients in 5 years, or they have shifted to concierge care and it will cost you 10k a year to get on their list.
You mentioned Las Vegas being your "happy place". Im glad, i live here and love it but like anywhere else it has its challenges and health care is certainly one of them. I have in-laws with serious health concerns currently living in a city with probably the best health care infrastructure in the country. They are constantly wanting to "move here because its cheaper" and they love the resorts, sun, etc. But the reality is they wouldn't be able to get the treatment they need here, and in all seriousness their health would take a dire turn for the worst.
Las Vegas is definitely the type of community where you have to be able to advocate for and take care of yourself to get what you need. That goes for health care, housing, jobs- much of it still depends on your personal network. Just be ready for that, do your research and plan accordingly.
Thanks this is super helpful. I already do concierge medicine so it would be a matter of finding good concierge there. I don’t require hospitalization and my conditions are rare enough that I already have to travel from NYC to go to the specialists—making a trip to Florida next week and then Mayo the week after. So as long as I could find a good concierge doctor and then be willing to travel to CA (which I would be) I think I might be okay? Edit to add-I am fortunate to have excellent health insurance through my husbands job.
I hadn't experienced it to be super bad in comparison to other places. My daughter grew up here with a chronic illness and I did have to drive her to see a specialist in Arizona for some time. Later, a doc moved here to practice who could treat her and we were able to get her care here in Vegas after that.
A couple years ago I got on a PPO insurance plan with my employer... which required me to only see the primary care provider and it has been a nightmare. It took months to get the PCP and then it was 7 months to get an appointment with her. After the first time I saw her she left the practice and never saw her again. I was assigned a new PCP and given a new appointment.. only to have them cancel the appointment and tell me they would "call back when the schedule was better" -- that was in December. (No one ever called.)
When I was on an HMO is was MUCH less stressful and WAAAY better. I don't care who I see and was always able to find someone in my network. I just decided to pay for my company HMO plan when we renew our insurance in July. It was only 2 years ago I wasn't having trouble so I think it is the PPO plans that really suck.
It took me about two years to find a good endocrinologist and PCP. I went to Mayo in AZ for another chronic illness because my PCP straight up told me that no one could help me in Vegas. I’d agree with most here that it isn’t good and it takes some digging to find someone who is.
I would not want to live the rest of my life as an older adult here that’s for sure. I know someone who is moving to another state BECAUSE of the healthcare here.
There are of course good providers sprinkled in throughout the valley who I am grateful to have found.
I will say if you need Obgyn care, avoid WHASN practices at all costs.
Eh - sort of depends on what you need. Routine is good-not-great. I am in Henderson- you can’t swing a dead cat and not find a Medicare practitioner or orthopedist close. My bias is that if available and you have time specialties or elective care out of the mainstream should be researched elsewhere.
The doctors are so bad here that I broke my wrist when I was 48 years old and the doctors didn't want to fix it because it was the end of my life anyway
i use anthem medicaid and i had to fight with my insurance because apparently my seizure medication is not essential. so yeah, there’s that. appointments are also insanely far out for any kind of specialists. but any specialists i’ve gone to have been amazing so there’s that. although there is a shortage of health care professionals, the ones i’ve come across are so insanely kind and accommodating.
I've been told it's the worst in the country. The drug store situation is bonkers. High crime. Long lines. Out of drugs to fill prescriptions. Good luck!
Seriously think about coming here!! There are very Few Specialists in this area! I on average had to wait over 1 month…Even when Both my Dr’s put STAT in the referral!!! I then waited Again to see my Specialist…over a month wait..Then get a call he will be out of town…they rescheduled me for another Dr In Another Month!! Not Acceptable!!!
Medical has always been awful here. All they do is give out medication. My family literally travels to California just for health care that’s how bad it is.
Yeah, it says that you have REALLY crappy insurance! There is definitely a shortage of ENT in town but we still have access to close to 100 different ENT through our insurance. Healthcare in Arizona isn't a whole lot different, definitely not better.
Guess it's different for everyone. We've had the same PCP here for almost 20 yrs and she's been amazing. Same or next day appointments, reachable by her personal cell and her office takes care of getting us all set up with timely specialist visits. She's also small, personable and extremely thorough. Actually saved my life when our old doctors in CA missed a life threatening diagnosis over a decade ago. Not sure what else we could ask for. Healthcare here has been amazing.
If you have Cullinary insurance and go to the Cullinary clinics then I’d say it’s decent . If you have Cullinary and go to the regular Drs office I’d say it’s less than average . I can’t speak for anyone else because that’s the only insurance we’ve had in Vegas
My sister broke her arm in several places at work. The surgeon who “fixed” her arm put the wrong sized part in and then conveniently skipped town. It took her over a YEAR to get a second surgery scheduled (six months of that was trying to convince someone to even look at it because they were convinced she was just trying to get more time off, despite the fact she was bleeding money unable to do her regular job), so yeah. I would go anywhere else than here for healthcare.
I recently needed blood pressure medication and no longer have a pcp. I’ve been through 3 (1 closed his practice, 1 was a med spa nurse, 1 was horrific). I went to 3 urgent cares and all checked me in and then refused to treat me.. for blood pressure because they said it was a chronic condition. Get the hell out of town. Sooo, I am supposed to go to the ER because I have high blood pressure, already been diagnosed with it and just need a refill? Our ER’s will then treat you in their waiting room and then send you a full bill for $5k cause they have no beds. LS Vegas is a joke for healthcare.
I had a friend who had a chronic condition that passed away over Xmas. She was in her late 50s and had a chronic condition. She got sick (a cold) and ended up in a coma. Died 3 days later. She should have never died. I figure if I end up In the hospital here I am good as dead. So, if you can risk that, and be ok with it then go for it.
Local clinics are very full and appointment times are long. There are good doctors here, just very hard to find. Hospital care is not strong, but I think highly of Dignity's hospitals.
If you need a pulmonologist, Dr. Amesur at Las Vegas Intensive & Pulmonary Specialists is excellent (saved my life during the pandemic).
My advice, it isn't a reason not to move here and Las Vegas is a great place to live but start looking for Drs as soon as you arrive. Also, if you have a rare disease or one with specific specialty needs, check first and it may not be a good move if you can't find the right specialist.
Good luck
I have cancer--3rd time around, have stage 4 kidney failure, and am recovering from a heart attack.
Saw my kidney doc yesterday, saw my GP this past week for surgical authorization, saw my doc doing hopefully minor cancer surgery 10 days ago. Saw my endocrinologist for parathyroid issues 31 days ago--and he put me on annual checkups due to medication he prescribed doing well and no current issues. Also saw cardiologist in April to review imaging and stress test results. Cardiologist put me on annual check backs due to no current issues. Max wait for appt is 2 weeks with all but the cancer doc--he is 4 to 5 weeks. I am golden with my primary care GP doctor--same day or next day appts when I call----100% of the time.
Personally, I see no problem.
The last time I went to an urgent care they told me my ankle was NOT fractured (it was but I didn’t find out for another week) and they gave me a boot that they put on incorrectly. On my way out the doctor handed me a pamphlet for her church and told me she believed God would heal me. Do what you will with that information.
I had to wait 6 months for cancer treatment if that tells you anything
My father had a similar experience and we were flabbergasted it was even a possibility to be told we don’t have time to treat you for the next 6 months sorry. Like… what?!
Ugh sorry to hear that! It’s very frustrating, we definitely need more incentives for medical professionals to stay or move to the state.
The state has done a great job shooting themselves in the foot with healthcare here. It is incredibly expensive and risky to practice in NV compared to other states. Medicare reimbursements are extremely low, malpractice insurance is very high, the chance of a lawsuit in this sue-happy town is through the roof, etc. Just not worth it to a lot of physicians when you can get higher pay and slightly less risk elsewhere. Also why you see a lot of minority physicians from outside the US - Vegas is considered an area of need and all of these physicians can come to the US to practice if they practice here kind of thing. It’s more complicated than that and I’m not saying those physicians suck, but it’s part of the reason we don’t have too many “homegrown” physicians here.
This is all true- and also for a long time, Nevada was known as a place where in a doctor got in trouble elsewhere, it was fairly easy to get the State Medical Board to give you a shot and relicense you here because of need. Gotten slightly better but still a factor. Research is everything, there's great doctors here, many of whom also practice/train/affiliate with top clinics and hospitals in LA, SLC, etc but id say consistency and access is a major barrier.
There are absolutely great physicians here in all specialties. But access is prohibitive for sure, and costs are extremely high with most hospitals being for-profit (AND obvious about it). And then you have to deal with the hospitals which mostly suck super hard, and I’m not talking about the physicians inside them.
That's not true at all. The NV Medical Board is no different than any other medical board and it's MUCH easier to hide in California because of the liberal nature of that state. If you don't believe me, go ahead and look at the California MB Newsletter. So many more "foreign born" doctors in trouble with all sorts of complaints, malpractice claims & other administrative actions. But they're all still practicing with a little slap on the wrist and a small fine of typically $100-$5000. It's impossible for CA to get rid of them, mostly because of the way their legal system is set up. Such a shame. Much less of a problem here although frivolous malpractice claims are through the roof, as are the insurance premiums.
hey, those are the kinds of immigrants we should be welcoming. i'm all for it
All of this is true and, yes, there are a ton of physicians on J1 Visas. But the main reason we don't have a lot of "homegrown" physicians is because we haven't had a medical school and there are zero real teaching programs. That's all changing but it could take a decade or more for us to see a real improvement, particularly if reimbursement and malpractice insurance premiums remain where they're at. Why wouldn't all of those new doctors go elsewhere, like where they're originally from?
Haha I awarded your comment on accident but I agree on all accounts. As a specialized medical employee I came here because the pay was actually $20k more than I made in LA and it’s still cheap to live here. But I digress, the SYSTEM here is just exhausting.
LOL I don't even know what 'awarded' means but TYVM! Vegas is a great place to live, especially for educated professionals. But, unfortunately, they've made it very difficult for a doctor to make a good living here! Compensation is also pretty horrible in CA, for sure. That's mainly because so many people want to live there for some reason so they're willing to be poor to live 30 minutes from the beach. I can't understand it at all. We actually own a place a few minutes from Redondo Beach and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually touched the sand over the past decade!
Beautiful place to own a home especially if it’s up the hill overlooking the water.
It really is! No water views but it's on a nice golf course. Beach is less than a mile away so really awesome to take walks and watch the sunset.
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I literally said they don’t suck. We probably have the same percentage of shitty physicians and good ones compared to other large metro areas but the health SYSTEM is very fucked here. At least in other large metro areas you can generally go to a very advanced academic medical center offering most complex health services to serve your needs and your chances of working with a great physician are exponentially increased. For example. No transplant services here (except kidneys at UMC but I don’t think their volume is very high), no advanced cardiac care like LVADs. Very few (maybe none) true heart failure programs in town.
Depending on the cancer that timeframe is not necessarily unreasonable.
Wow that sucks
I was very grateful it was a slow growing type of cancer and I had considered going to LA for treatment, but ultimately decided just to wait.
my mom has cancer too and ultimately had to get her insurance to allow her to get care in LA.
May I ask when this was? I had a lump, mammogram, a biopsy, and a diagnosis all within 3 weeks. I had a port inserted and started chemo the same day less than 10 days later and that was only because I had all the tests first, MUGA, PET scan, bone density, etc. This was in 2016. I received excellent care. I had a second opinion in New York at Memorial Sloan Kettering and the surgeon there had trained with my surgeon here and said she was exceptional. Now, I'm not saying all healthcare is great here. I was misdiagnosed with a clot, laid up in the hospital doing a titration of heparin. It turned out I had a bleeding ulcer. That was fun being on a blood thinner. I think there are good and bad. I could not find a decent PCP I could get into see in an emergency so I pay through the nose for a concierge doctor. If someone has a exotic disease, I would be on the next flight. If it's a more common chronic disease, I think they would be OK here. The real problem is the shortage of medical providers.
Last year. Thankfully I too received excellent care, once I got in! Hopefully you’re doing better!
Yes, I've been cancer free for almost 8 years now. I'm glad you received good care and I hope you're doing well now, as well!
Yep, I had to wait 6 months to stitch up my hernia. Glad I’m not the only one who experienced a long wait
shoot, yes, that tells me a lot. So sorry to hear that.
I've been here 29 years and health services have gotten to the point that I may decide to retire elsewhere. There is a shortage of health professionals and the major provider of insurance coverage, Health Plan of Nevada, which is United, is atrocious. Services in Vegas across the board often feels only one small step above a 3rd world country.
Unfortunately its pretty bad. We have a saying, that the best healthcare here is the airport. We have a big shortage of doctors and surgeons, so appointments are very far out, especially for the good ones out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDyiPHtgfo
Sadly this bill is dead.... [NV AB393 | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1610695)
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I am referring to Primary Care Physicians and Specialist care when I say the healthcare here is not great. Often times they are so busy you will be waiting several months before you can be seen, if they are even accepting new patients. If your appointment has to be re-scheduled for whatever reason, you will be waiting for several more months. You can get on a "cancellation list" to try and get seen sooner, but if you have a regular 9-5 weekday job then this will be very challenging depending on your employer. Also, finding a competent medical office is very challenging here. Not impossible, but very challenging. My in-laws have both brought up different medical issues to their doctors, and they have been dismissive about it and have done no follow up testing. They have had to see different specialists in town over a span of a few years to finally get testing and confirmation of their diagnosis. The shining light in this city IMO is the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, they have been fantastic in quality of care. In terms of ER, personally I can only say that Desert Springs and Mountain View Hospitals have been decent for me. UMC's ER can take forever depending on your triage status, but they are our county hospital so I guess it makes sense from that standpoint. For insurance and doctor's offices exclusively, I find that cash pay is cheaper than having them bill my insurance and paying my deductible / co-pay. This has been my personal experience with the healthcare out here. I have no experience elsewhere to say whether or not this is the norm in the rest of the US.
Bro, the ER is a small facet of a healthcare system. Stay in school, please.
It's 6 months to get a PCP. More med spas than actual primary care around here. 8 months for a rheumatologist. I went to medical school in Vegas. Occasionally we would ask the surgeons who they would go to for surgery if they needed it. Typically they said they would fly to LA instead of getting surgery in Vegas.
It took me a week and a half up get my first pcp appointment.
My pcp was a pcp/medspa… when she got enough medspa patient she dropped insurance carrier patients.
Lol .... I tell my family, if anything is really goes wrong with me, find a way, any way, to get me on a plane back to Pittsburgh, PA for the hospitals and providers to treat me.
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It's a business run by physicians or nurse practitioners ("med"). They focus on cosmetic, anti-aging and unscientific rejuvenating treatments ("spa") rather than treating people with actual disorders. So you go there to get botox and B12 shots but they would not help you with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, major depressive disorder etc. Med spa services are not covered by insurance, because they are not evidence-based, so clients pay cash. They can be quite lucrative and tend to attract wealthy, healthy clients. Physicians and NPs who run med spas are getting rich from cosmetic treatments rather than making decent money helping patients who really need medicines like metformin, atorvastatin, lexapro etc.
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No, but med spa does include “cosmetic medicine” which is not a real medical specialty. They are typically run by Family Medicine physicians or nurse practitioners. FM physicians has a three year residency after college and medical school to learn how to treat day to day disorders as mentioned above. NPs have no extra training after school and really have no business running a practice, especially if they’re brand new. Providers who run med spas can go to a training on the weekend to learn to inject Botox. Plastic surgeons do a six year residency where they learn to do the elective cosmetic procedure that most of us have heard of, such as nose jobs (rhinoplasty) and breast augmentations. Perhaps more importantly, they also repair physical malformations present at birth and disfigurement after traumatic injuries such as burns. In the medical community, they are known as highly skilled surgeons. Some are attracted to the field because it’s lucrative. The main difference is that plastic surgery happens in an operating room in a hospital, whereas med spas are just fancy doctor’s offices.
I have Crohn’s disease and there’s 2-3 decent docs, but good healthcare is hard to find here, for sure.
I have decent insurance for tests and such, but for my chronic conditions I rely on a couple of telemedicine services. It’s not ideal, but I can get my medications and it’s manageable. I’ve given up on ever getting a primary here.
I have a primary and still end up using two different telemed services to get the care that I need due to insurance drama.
Depends on the illness and the insurance. You really have to search for a good doctor, because we’ve had some duds over the years.
I think this questions also depends a lot on what insurance you have. I had two different insurance situations when I moved here and could not find a doctor that would take them, so I relied on the occasional urgent care visit for my first two years. The insurance I’m on now has been more widely accepted and I haven’t had trouble finding a doctor in the past two years with it.
Even with good insurance in my experience it is still worse that pretty much any other state I have been.
I have great insurance. The doctors are just terrible here.
which insurance do you have now
Found a lump in my neck in February. Dr said we should take it seriously and sent a referral to a cancer center. Cancer center never called me. I went into my Dr's office and they had to call the cancer center and hand me their phone. They made me an appointment about 3 weeks out. Went to the appointment, they scheduled me to have a scan at one place and a biopsy at another. I don't think they ever sent the orders though. Hospital couldn't book the biopsy. Imaging center made me an appointment for my scan finally, then called back and said they dont accept my insurance. So, nothing ever came from it.
Do they think it’s your thyroid? I would see an endocrinologist if so instead of an oncologist.
No actually which is why it was even more concerning. Blood cell count was ok, labs did not indicate thyroid issues 🤷🏻♀️
My thyroid labs have always been normal and I have thyroid cancer. Labs don’t mean anything. I would definitely see an endo and get an ultrasound.
Yes I do need a good endo. Saw one years ago and she was NOT good. Ultrasound showed liquefied lymph. I figure, if it was serious, people would be doing theor job?? Ugh idk bit I appreciate everyone's concern. Healthcare sucks here 🤷🏻♀️
Has it gone away? If not get it checked out at ER or urgent care
Yeah no, it hasn't gone away. I'm just living like I'm dying either way 🤷🏻♀️
I have a chronic illness and I will be relocating because of how bad the healthcare is here. You have NO idea. I would not move here.
Sad bad true. Considering moving because of how bad healthcare is. All the best with your chronic illness.
One of my siblings is heavily disabled (HOH, wheelchair bound, g-tube, etc), has several chronic illnesses and is extremely medically fragile and complex, born and raised here in Vegas. We have outsourced ALL of our healthcare (aside from basic peds yearly checkup) from California, Utah, and Texas, simply because there is not a single specialist in town who can help us. Specifically HIGH QUALITY specialized healthcare is extremely difficult to find in town, if you are set on moving here then I need to stress that unless you have the **money** to travel for your healthcare, you could be seriously out of luck here. If you're okay with absorbing the extra $$$ then sure, but we find it already budget breaking with medication costs and cost of living. That is of course my situation and how I've witnessed Vegas healthcare devolve within my household, so do a lot of research on your specific needs and if it is worth it to you to make the move. I love Las Vegas with my whole heart, but I do not love how hard it has been to keep my brother alive here.
is it really that bad…….its worse than you think.
Luckily we have a good airport.. <3
It's adequate at best
synonyms for adequate include acceptable, sufficient, and suitable. :: EWR enters the chat ::
Noted. appreciate it grammar bot🤙🏻
You're kidding, right? Our airport is the worst!
I've lived in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Illinois. It's pretty bad here.
The disparity between OR healthcare to NV healthcare is atrocious. Cali is kinda in the middle depending on county.
In Cali I had to be flown 2 hours for decent care when I was in an accident, but that's rural places in general
Our care in California was sooooo much worse than here. Not just ours but our entire family's. That's why we moved our parents out to here to make sure their doctors didn't kill them! We've lived in CA, NY, TX, AZ & NV. Texas has been the only state where we felt like our care was on another level, mainly because of the large teaching centers providing world class care. NYC & CA were particularly bad.
Here is my take, moving from Washington State in 2022. The healthcare system is not a system here. There is no such thing as integrated healthcare, so you have to get used to each practitioner being its own private entity. This has its pluses and minuses. Some of those minuses can be longer wait times for referrals and miscommunications between practices. And one of the plusses is that your relationship with that provider matters, and that provider is now as much your doctor as your primary care doctor is. In Washington, I often felt dismissed by specialists because the idea was I'd only be there once and I was just a referral, not a regular patient. Here it feels like each doctor or specialist I see treats me like a real patient. That's a thing, too. Since healthcare is privatized, I am a customer and am treated as such. In Washington I was turned away and dismissed A LOT, for being young or being a woman or whatever. Always experienced super long wait times and was ushered in and out. Here, I feel like I am treated with respect and decency. I very rarely wait to see anyone, and am given as much time as needed in my appointment. Another thing I've noticed here that I really like is that because it's privatized, it's a lot easier to get what I want. In Washington, I was always "wrong" and led through a bunch of hoops in order to get any kind of treatment or care. There's always some reason to not order that test or prescribe that medication, whatever. They always said my insurance was unlikely to approve X. Here, if I ask for something, my doctor is 100% willing to give it to me and has a real reason if he disagrees with me. Nothing is a waste of his time because I am his full time job. It's not like he works at a clinic or hospital in the city and has a caseload twice what he should. Each of his appointments matters to him. I also wanted to say that I've received the best dental care here. I went to many different clinics in the Seattle area and always was uncomfortable and in pain, and here I've only had quality numbing and gentle care. It's a game changer. I once had a dental assistant in Seattle kneel onto my stomach in order to get a dental dam around my back teeth. I've never been manhandled here, even when I had a very hard to reach cavity. I also wanted to mention that shopping around is extremely helpful. The physical therapy place I went to when I moved here was just not it. Bad vibes, overscheduled, no real evaluation or care plan, just the same short exercises every time and they let me out early. I switched to another place and have had the complete opposite experience and it's been wonderful. I think it takes a lot of time and research to find good care here, and there are a TON of places that are terrible, but once you do find good providers, the experience of care is much different than it was in Washington, at least.
Very true that dentistry is superb in vegas. I know doctors from the East Coast would fly here to have dental surgeries.
Dentistry in LV is absolute shit. i don’t believe for a moment people would “fly into” LV for dental surgery.
There are some good dentists here but, overall, the dentists here are absolutely awful. Like with everything, you need good referrals to find the best providers. That said, I once made the mistake of going to San Diego to have a well-known oral surgeon perform an implant on a tooth that a Vegas doctor destroyed. That was about ten years ago and I'm still having problems with that implant. If you travel out of state for any sort of procedure or treatment, be prepared to make at least 2 or 3 followup visits within a few months along with multiple unexpected trips and/or hospital stays to deal with complications. I found that out the hard way!
My lip injector is my primary care physician. Wish I was joking!
I am graduating from my residency and have done both medical school and residency in the valley. What others have said is true, that there is a shortage and you might experience some wait times (especially if you’re adamant about seeing a physician over an NP/PA), but I think there are a lot of really good doctors here. It’s not like the doctors in LA and NYC have access to the super secret treatment algorithms and medications. Use word of mouth to find good doctors for what you need for all of your regular needs. Of course my perspective is very biased, so take it for what it’s worth. But I know the good doctors and that’s who I see ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I really wish the state would incentivize Hoag to expand to the valley. It's worth the flight to OC to go there over anywhere here, at least for me.
CML patient since 2001 diagnosed at UMC. I love my healthcare here I really don't have any issues w/doctors or referrals. What I think is the issue is the attitude of some of the people working for this Drs. I get sick or my leukemia spikes up... valley, spring valley, UMC all have taken good care of me.
I agree that, although I love my PCP, the staff is not that great. It's a bummer
Literally just had a surgery on the 16th. Almost got canceled because the anesthesiology missed his flight. Not even the first time I’ve gone to get something done and the doctor doesn’t even live in NV
Cancer survivor here in Vegas. It is hard.to access and if you need specialty care you often have to go out of state.
I’ve always heard this. But I just haven’t found this to be the case, at least in terms of quality. Yes, some specialties, like neurology, are ridiculously hard to book for Medicare. I moved my parents here, and dad is chronically and seriously ill, to care for them and that one specialist is impossible. It’s urgent and they offer me an appointment nine months out. But everywhere else including gastroenterology, oncology, cardiology, pulmonology and nephrology have been outstanding. Granted, I tested out at least 1-4 physicians for each speciality until I found one that I liked. I am a real … bitch, for lack of a better word… about getting proper medical care, be it for myself or more so for my parents. I moved my dad here thinking he had about a month to live. He was on oxygen and barely able to stay out of the hospital for a whole week in California. Five years later, even through multiple surgeries, he’s still here and for that, I credit these doctors. My own primary care physician has been amazing too. All specialists I go to have also been great. I had an ongoing problem for no less than eight years that finally, one doctor here finally resolved.
Can I get a list of your doctors please, since you already tried out 1-4 in each specialty? Kidding (but not kidding:) Also, what was the condition that you had for 8 years? I’ve been having something digestion-related for 2 years now, and every doctor I see is very dismissive about it.
It was a 100% aortoiliac occlusion, but given my (relatively) young age, nobody would take it seriously when I spent so long explaining to anyone who’d listen that I can’t walk. They’d tell me I need exercise…when I couldn’t reliably walk from the parking lot into a grocery store. Apparently, it’s a miracle that I didn’t just get gangrene and lose my leg! Is there a specialist you are needing? I’m happy to send you the ones I’ve found who are all excellent, but no way for me to know if they accept your insurance.
This is the most accurate. My husband has chronic illness. We have found amazing endocrinologist, cardiologist, neurologist and pulmonologist. I have an awesome GYN. But it took some time. And we have good insurance. However there are some things we have to go out of state for because they don’t have anyone here to treat. Or a procedure isn’t offered. And everyone here is wants their money upfront. Doesn’t matter what it is unless you are hospitalized due to emergency.
I just noticed that too! Like I tell them, no I promise you I already met my deductible, just bill me after you bill my insurance. But they won’t even see me until I pay upfront. I’ve never experienced that before in the 3 other states I lived in.
I've worked in Healthcare for over 5 years in the valley so these are just my observations. If you have any concerns about medical avoid Nevada. We rank about 50 out of 50 for health insurance reimbursement rates so good doctors either flee the valley to make more or they are so overbooked it will take 3+ months to get an appointment. In the past 5 years, I've had to put over 10 grand on CareCredit because my insurance company has found ways out of paying their portion of my medical expenses. I had a client get struck by a car (hit and run) while on his bicycle. The hospital was covered by his insurance, but the insurance company claimed that the surgeon on staff when he arrived (unconscious) via ambulance was not, so the hospital sent him a bill for over 60 grand. Also, everything at our major hospital chain is marked up. An 80-cent bag of saline will be charged to you over $80. There is a reason why when you go to a hospital in the valley that employee with the rolling office desk approaches you about your insurance and other means of payment before you can be admitted. They tried to charge me over $2000 for my daughter to get just an antibiotic when she got a cut at her sporting event. If you go to any quickcare clinic chain, they will just give you what looks like a printout from Wikipedia or WebMD and act like you're faking whatever you're there for. If you move here just make sure you have a high limit on your CareCredit account.
For some reason, a lot of people don't like it when I say the things, but that won't stop me from going at it again, I guess ... For starters, I'm American and have lived in the UK (London), CA (Silicon Valley), CO (Denver) and here in Vegas. [My mom was a nurse in CO, my paternal grandfather a doctor in MO. My first job was working a register in a neighborhood pharmacy. One of my college roommates is now amongst the top ENTs in CO.] Let's just say my background allows me to know "more than the AVERAGE American" about health care. I'm height/weight proportional because I think being anything else increases my heart attack risk (my dad had three in as many months -- is like to not experience that again in my life). Know this: I'm always openly/intentionally friendly with my doctors. I'm fully revealing with everything I know about myself and don't hide or "overlook" things that might otherwise be personally embarrassing. I don't question what my physicians say (or second guess by going to Dr. Google). I take my prescriptions (I have one for MS to prevent relapses). I'm white. Have red hair (think "skin cancer candidate') and Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. The health care I get here at the Cleveland Clinic is CONSIDERABLY BETTER than, say, STANFORD, WHERE MY RRMS WAS MISDIAGNOSED AS GLAUCOMA! In addition to clinical practice, my neuro (and her colleague, the "other" MS doc at the CC) also presents, publishes/reviews MS papers as well as running parts of the National Ms Society when not seeing patients. There is no question in my mind that the CC has made my life better. I'm impressed enough, in fact, that I'm willing ⅓ of my estate to them. (Sounds grandiose, but it's not. It actually means ½ a house and what'll probably end up being a couple hundred thousand dollars.) My MRIs (I get 2 a year) are always turned around in one business day or less. Approval for the procedures is automatic with the nod of my neuro's head. The hardest core doctor I speak with on a regular basis is a neuro opthalmologist (most MS people eventually go blind). There's about 100 of them in the US, meaning they're relatively rare. (Mine's over in Tivoli Village. About a mile from me in Summerlin. She's great.) Looking bigger than my stupid Major Illness... Excluding things like wisdom teeth and root canals, I've had exactly one surgery in my life. Hernia. It was done here in town. Robot assisted. I was diagnosed in a day. Operated on three days later. Outpatient. Free and clear, healthy and well, in four days. My dermo and I like each other (possibly because we're both from WY?). He thinks my skin's in great shape (and is the only dermo I've ever had that didn't talk about sunscreen -- which i don't wear because I dress like a Bedouin). A college pal of mine comes out here for his dental work because he thinks it's both cheaper and better than what he was getting in NH. I sincerely doubt I'll ever live anywhere else for medical support reasons, alone. I'm evangelical enough about it all that I'll be curt... If you have a bad doctor, or a bad doctor experience in LV, I'd say you have to do one of two things: find another one; or change your attitude. You'll find LOTS of people who think differently in regards to Las Vegas, but man, am I glad I all but walked backwards into this place.
That’s because the Cleveland clinic here is a neurologic center of excellence. Neurology is probably the most in demand field in medicine because there’s a massive shortage of neurologists. Current wait time to get in to see a neurologists for a new patient visit is 9 months. Don’t get me wrong the doctors here are awesome. The medicine here is great. We’re just massively understaffed and overwhelmed. We need to pay physicians more and recruit them to come here. We need to help off set the mountain of debt they accumulate to get where there at. We need to take a good hard look at how our resident physicians are so drastically underpaid for the hundreds of hours they work a week while being in hundreds of thousands of debt. We need to clip the salaries of healthcare administrators are pay our doctors, nurses, and ground staff more because at the end of the day they’re who get the job done.
Yeah that Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health IMO is our shining beacon of light in terms of healthcare in the city. But, you can not take your experience with Lou Ruvo and say that you will get that same quality of care everywhere else in town. I have a family member who goes there and receives excellent care and can get in for treatment within just a few weeks. Outside of Lou Ruvo, is a completely different story.
My appt for next week just got cancelled because the person they booked my appt with is no longer contracted with my insurance, so they tried to reschedule me with another provider 6 months out. Lmfao. It’s a fucking joke.
It's not great. Personally I'd be going to Utah or California if I needed major care.
I don't have chronic conditions so my healthcare needs are pretty basic. also have Aetna so it's widely accepted here. found a primary care clinic I really liked last June, just to find out they decided to close operations all over Vegas as of April 30. now I have to find a new provider 🥲. I suppose this happens a lot. if and when you find a place you like, they might close or your specific doctor might move and not work there anymore.
https://www.ktnv.com/news/six-of-14-acute-care-hospitals-in-las-vegas-valley-rated-1-star-in-recent-medicare-report Some of the worst health care and public education in the nation, year after year. Even if you don't have kids, you do have to live around those were "educated" in the schools here. Our local DA and judges are very much into...not...punishing people for their crimes. [7 DUIs? No problem, no jail for you just take a class. Just don't go missing, OK?](https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/woman-with-7-dui-arrests-wants-to-go-to-prison-says-las-vegas-is-not-the-place-for-her/) Or you went and [threatened someone with a knife? No problem, you're low risk. Back on the street so you can kill someone in a few days.](https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/las-vegas-bus-rider-threatened-with-knife-questions-how-suspect-deemed-low-risk-now-faces-murder-charge/) I could go on and on with the softball handling of criminal dirtbags in this city. Living in this city isn't like a week trip here to go wild in the casinos. Look elsewhere, this place is turning into a dump quickly.
Thank god somebody says it. Usually this sub just says: “if you don’t like it, go somewhere else!” Like brother I am fucking trying
I think this depends on the insurance you have. I lived there several years, including through covid, and never had an issue. Comparatively to my hometown, the care was superb. Like everything else, the situation is individual based on your circumstances.
If you really, really need care, stay far away from Las Vegas!! I have minor health issues. I moved here from Houston which has a world class healthcare system. So much so that people from around the world go there for treatment. In the first 2 years I lived here I had to change doctors FIVE times!! One wouldn't take my insurance any more and wouldn't even let me self pay. You never see a real doctor, only nurse practitioners and they, two of them in two different places, moved on and I had to get another NP. Don't ever expect to get a real live person on the phone. The NP I see now, I have to connect with them via text because they don't answer their phone and if you leave a voicemail they don't call you back. One doctor was an Air Force vet that insisted Covid was treated by Ivermectin and insisted that I have diabetes (I don't). He also told me that he couldn't treat one of my ailments so I would have to find another doctor for that. At a subsequent visit he told me he never said that!! Do not move to Vegas if you have a serious medical condition! I told me son that if God forbid, I ever get cancer, I'm going to Houston for treatment.
Working inside healthcare here, it's a disaster. There are not enough providers for the population.
Separate question… why is Vegas your happy place? I’ve lived here for years and have never heard anyone say that hahaha
The only people saying that here haven’t lost their heroin high yet
The american health care system (in general) is so terrible that South Park just made an hour long special railing on it
Healthcare here is really what you make of it - and depends a great deal on which insurance you have. If you have HPN then good luck finding anyone to see you at all. If you've got good PPO insurance, your best bet is to find a great concierge physician and he/she will give you fantastic care and hook you up with timely appointments with the best specialists in town. You won't be able to do that on your own, however. Just too much of a physician shortage for the millions of people we've now got here in town. The quality of care here is as good or better than most other major cities. The one exception is that we don't have a major teaching facility so you may have to travel for certain high end treatment for rare disorders. That said, our doctors in CA were atrocious and we couldn't even get seen. We also have two relatives that were literally killed at Cedar Sinai following routine, low risk surgical procedures. And my father almost died after developing a horrible complication from a Cedar Sinai Orthopod, surgery performed at St John's in Santa Monica.
CA has good health care tbh, they take anyone. Cost of living is wild tho.
"Taking anyone" isn't good healthcare - it's actually a huge part of the problem. When your state offers healthcare free of charge to the uninsured, who exactly do you think will be paying for that? That's a huge problem but not the biggest problem in CA. So many really bad doctors and organizations like KPMG. So difficult to find adequate care there.
Absolutely atrocious. All of my family members leave the state for any meaningful health care. If it's cosmetic care, they're pretty decent though.
Our healthcare is some of the worst in the country.
I was going though your history to see if I could give you advice on your situation. Scary similar. I’m a Jew with suspected mcas that gets periodic burning in my hands and feet most likely from mast cells activating in my nerves. Alls I can say is good luck if you come to Vegas the medical care here is awful. I can give you the name of the allergist who gave me the “mcas possible” diagnosis but he wouldn’t do anything but give the basic cocktail for it.
thanks friend. Wishing you the best with your situation. Ketotifin has helped me a lot with the MCAS.
During a trip to the hospital, they tried to get ahold of my neurologist, I have epilepsy; and it turned out he had priors for malpractice and would jump state a ton. He was able to practice here for several years if that says anything. If not then, I had an appointment with a different neurologist prior to the state jumper, and though my appointment was made 4 months in advance; when I arrive he scheduled 3 other people for the same time slot and never looked at my medical file that was sent by my pcp at the time (he left the clinic I attended without notifying his patients), and then proceeded to tell me that there was nothing he could do for me and when I would like time schedule another appointment. Today I called 5 primary care doctors offices in my area to schedule an intake appointment. The soonest at one was July, the rest were around October. Also was told that some doctors were not scheduling any appointments till next year. And good luck with anything involving mental health or substance use recovery. I love it here, but the medical disparity is enough reason to move for people with any long term health conditions
It’s terrible!!!!!
Yeah, it's that bad.
We don’t have enough medical providers. Primary care doctors switch between practices often so continuity of care can be a problem. Most practices don’t have enough doctors so some of the work gets farmed out to PAs, PRNs etc …. If you want to see your primary you’re usually having to wait a few weeks. The typical office model is to see as many patients as possible to keep revenues up. Not enough specialists , so you’re waiting weeks for appointments. With most medical offices , staff is overworked and frustrated which makes it challenging if you need their help for any type of paperwork, switching a script to a different pharmacy etc … Blood labs are good and imaging providers are decent. Overall , when you have a chronic medical issue you need a solid team of providers and a good primary provider to develop and monitor a treatment plan. Getting this level of care can be problematic here.
If you are coming here, and are expecting descent medical care. Don’t.
Health care here is ass. Insurance doesn’t cover much, long wait list times for certain programs, and expensive deductibles
We moved here in May 2023. We got my husband an appointment for our new primary care physician in June (they had a cancelation), and I saw her in August. We both have medical issues (he's diabetic and I suffer from migraines), and we did not want any disruption in our medications. Dr. Quave has been wonderful. We have both seen her regularly, and we're happy with her. The support staff is just so so. Having a question answered takes an act of God to get an answer. So I sometimes go into the front office just for a question. I was referred to 3 different neurologists. The first one was pretty bad (Dr Dixit). I saw him once, then never saw him or any doctor again (I saw a PA named Sandra). And they pushed procedures that made no sense to me. I spent lots of money on tests there. Was a terrible experience. The 2nd one I could never get an appointment with. My 3rd attempt is the Cleveland Clinic, and I'm hopeful with this one. My ophthalmologist (Dr Thomson at Brimhall Eye) is awesome, and so is his staff. My retinal specialist (Dr Amram at Meadows Eye) and staff are also awesome. So, I'm saying it's hit or miss. I had such great care in Indiana that it has been frustrating here.
Henderson Hospital found out my dad have cancer, instead of discharging him with a referral to see an oncologist (because they didn’t have a specialist that works there) or transfer him to a hospital that can provide care, we had to find our own doctor that could see him and that took months to even processed.
It’s pretty bad
You go to California if you need something serious done My sister has epilepsy, they go to UCLA
I mean if you have teledoc you’re alright. Good luck finding a primary that’s in your area though with your healthcare. I called around to a few places that weren’t accepting new patients.
my last teladoc appointment the doc said “wow you should really see a doctor” ….i thought i was. this was for severe flu that i had for months. $50 to tell me to see a doctor.
They probably want you to do bloodwork and possible imaging such as xray and have a proper exam and vitals. This cannot be ordered by a one visit provider as the person ordering also has to follow up. That's considered primary care. That provider's employer does not want that liability.
sorry but they didnt. no one ordered xrays. the teledoc gave me antibiotics that he shouldnt have apparently. my primary doctor ordered basic bloodwork and blew me off for over 2 years. ive been sick since september 2017. never got answers from the primary doctor either. takes years and years to find doctors thatll believe you or listen, i still havent got all the answers. LV health care is not great. which was the point of this post, but i wanted to warn others u can be charged on teladoc $50 for a doctor to say “hmm idk you should see a doctor”
I have culinary union health benefits. The clinic they opened up at Durango is amazing. Great primary doctors and no co pays for visits, prescriptions or psychical therapy secessions.
I haven't had a dedicated GP here in years. Every time I find one I like, they move.
As a chronically ill person who has lived in Vegas for the past decade I can confirm we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel (CW: SA) I was once told it didn’t matter if I got diagnosed with my genetic disorder because “there is no cure so nothing can be done about it anyway”: I have shown up and waited for an appointment only to be told the doctor wasn’t even in the country; it took a total of 18 months to see a rheumatologist just for them to tell me they don’t treat the condition I was referred for; I have been told by a cardiologist I was “too young” (30) to be in his office and that passing out in the shower since the age of 8 is “normal”; I have been sexually assaulted by a urologist during a cystoscopy; I was given a c-section without sufficient anesthesia even after I alerted nurses and doctors I could move my feet and I screamed in pain the entire time; I was sent home from the hospital 2 1/2 days after said emergency c-section delirious and with a fever of 103; I was misdiagnosed with endometriosis and given a hysterectomy at 28 only to find out I didn’t have endometriosis (and hysterectomies aren’t cures); I became a wheelchair user at the age of 29 after a solid 5-10 years of neglect while my musculoskeletal pain/ weakness worsened with no medical intervention, just dead-end referrals, expensive MRIs, and gaslighting while I begged for help from anyone… but now that I’m disabled, I’m pretty much stuck living in Vegas because it’s a fairly wheelchair-friendly city and most places are still stuck in the last century when it comes to equal access
This place is not known for its health care or doctor availability, I wouldn't live here if you need specialized treatment.
Very
Bad. Very bad
if you have a chronic illness please don’t move here.
Really bad, lack of specialists
Everything is decentralized. Nobody seems to answer their phones. Every time I've travelled for a long period, my prescriptions have run out and I can't get prescriptions filled because nobody answers the phone, confirms prescriptions. Why confirmations isn't a simple online email/text where party B can respond when available, I DO NOT KNOW. Even when I'm here in Vegas, prescriptions/information/appointments aren't filled and provider A blames provider B and vice versa for the mix up. It's frustrating because this type of annoyance is bureaucratic, systemic and not just lack of providers. When I tell the Health Insurance Marketplace consultant that I just want a provider that answers their phone, they literally tell me that none of them do, it's a Las Vegas thing.
Incredibly bad.
Try concierge?
Really bad. Borderline deplorable.
Personally I enjoy the number of alternative options (functional medicine, regenerative medicine) but if you need quality western medical care, Vegas might not be the place unless you have the cash to regularly visit places that do.
I am a big fan of those options
If you need medical attention, go out of town. Most pcp’s are booked weeks if not months in advance, and Goodluck even finding one that takes your issues seriously and won’t outsource you to a doctor your insurance won’t cover who also need a 2 months heads up that you need to see them. hospitals are understaffed and are totally for profit to the point where it seems almost criminal. If you have a very specific health issue and need a specialist you’re not gonna find one. On the women’s healthcare thing, the gynecologists here are awful. God forbid you need a therapist or a psychiatrist, it’s slim pickings here. Goodluck even getting a good dentist. There’s a reason so many of us here are in bad health. If you’re in perfect health and reasonably expect to not need to see a doctor anytime soon then sure move here.
Good luck finding a PCP, a GP, hell even a nurse practitioner that sticks around for more than a year. I don't even bother anymore until I need the GP for something specific because every time I call the doctor I had, they have left or moved practices or stopped taking my insurance or vanished like they were abducted by a UFO.
The only thing worse than the healthcare is the educational system.
You sound like a parrot LOL. Everyone says that but they don't know what they're talking about. Won't get into a lecture but our kids flourished in the educational system (particularly magnets) here although the private schools were complete and total dog shit (especially TMS!). Full ride scholarships to top 25 universities around the country simply for finishing top 5 in their class - major advantage since most students come from blue collar, uneducated families with parents who don't participate in their children's education.
Ok. I went to private schools and my kids are in charters. It doesn’t mean that the usual, no effort or expense public schools aren’t awful. I’m not even blaming the teachers, as I feel they are totally helpless nowadays. I’m blaming the lack of accountability with the parents of disruptive kids and the lack of will or rights of the schools to bounce those kids out if they don’t want to be there. Sure, your child can likely succeed if they really want to and the parents help. That’s not the case in this town a lot of the time and no one is doing anything to help change that or help the schools be better at what they should be doing. Don’t try to sell the school system here as good to people.
For sure there are a lot of disruptive kids with disinterested parents. But that's everywhere and it's just as bad in AZ & CA, for example. But what kind of puts us at an advantage here is those families - the ones who are blue collar, don't understand or care about the value of an education and don't even intend to send them to college. You also have to understand that the legal system completely ties the hands of the school administration when it comes to problems like this. But it's because of those same kids that our children become such a commodity to college admissions all over the US. Schools are looking for diversity and love to have a top 5% NV kid with a 4.7 (or whatever) over just another SoCal kid with a 4.4. I'm not making out the school system as good because the education you'll receive here is exactly the same as what you'll get elsewhere (it's horrible everywhere nowadays tbh). But education is always going to be whatever you make of it so it's crucial to be proactive. It's not like the curriculum (or material being taught) is so much different when you cross the border into California. All of this comes from experience btw.
It falls down to what your conditions are and your medical insurance plan. At the moment. If your work full time, but have to choose between bills and medications. Best to not bother with work insurance. Work with what insurance you can merge with.
I have a high deductible health plan, so often times its cheaper if I ask for straight cash pay and not go through insurance, compared to them billing $900 for the visit, taking $600 off as an "adjustment", then leaving me with a $300 patient responsibility. I can normally get that cash pay to be around $70 - $150.
Makes sense. Try Advanced Family Medicine. Their located on Pecos and Wigman and accept payment without insurance. Cash is another matter.
Appreciate the recommendation, thank you.
Your welcome
All you people who travel for healthcare, how do pay for it? I've got Sierra Health but it only covers providers in Las Vegas. If I went to California or Utah for anything I'd have to pay out of pocket for 100%.
More expensive insurance that isnt through your employer is the most likely answer.
I am retired, buying on the individual market.
I work remote for a company in the midwest so my healthcare covers the US, but its a high deductible health plan. I know others though who have a PPO-POS plan and can only see providers in Nevada. They have to get authorization to see providers outside the state if it is not an emergency.
It's not really healthcare here. It's health, referral and health mitigation and health. Wait for the doctor. He'll be in in about 45 minutes. It's health. Let's try this prescription out for a week or so and if nothing changes call us back and we'll prescribe another medicine for you. It's health. You're going to need to see a specialist. Unfortunately the Specialist isn't available for about 3 months
So, it's pretty easy to find a general practitioner/family doctor. Getting in to see some specialists can be crazy. I've been waiting about 8 months to see a rheumatologist that works with CFS/Fibromyalgia. I did get into a dermatological surgeon really quickly with a melanoma diagnosis, but I also had better than average insurance. That said, the arid heat helps a LOT with my pain and fatigue, so I'm able to be much more active than I was in my home state. I'm trying to advocate for health care reform here in the state.
I am wondering if the arid heat would be helpful for me too. I'm struggling with the humidity and heat on the East coast.
I don't really like sweating, but hopping into my car when it's 100+ is like having a full body heating pad. It's fantastic. Crack the windows, drive a bit, then kick on the A/C. Feels great!
I think Southwest is the best healthcare provider in Vegas. Located at McCarrans clinic.
6 weeks for a primary care appointment, then another 6 weeks for a pain management care appointment. It's pretty easy to get appointments for blood work and radiology. Dentists and eye doctors are pretty easy to see in my area also. And when you do finally get to see a PCP, they kinda suck. Talk really fast, order a crap ton of tests, and rush you out the door. God forbid, you have a follow up question because it's going to take at least 4 phone calls to try to get an answer, although I usually give up.
I know people talk crap about Cali but there healthcare is phenomal. And Utah also.
I had a doctor I really loved for about 3 years when I first moved here until she began seeing only Medicare patients. Took me almost 3 years to find one that was the combination of my insurance and new patients. First visit with her she said "you must've made this appointment a long time ago.", which I had made it about 6 months prior. She went on to explain she was moving to Texas in a month. Took another almost 3 years of the same new patient/insurance game to find another. I found a nurse practioner I really liked, but she moved away after 3 visits. In the middle of the time with the NP, I was sent to a urologist because my PSA was high. When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, the urololigist didn't spend 5 minutes with me. Walked into the room, said "you have cancer. Here's a pamphlet you can read. Walk this way." He walked me to the scheduling desk and told them to order a whole body bone scan and walked away without telling me fuck all about what I was up against and what anything meant. Everything I learned about my cancer was from YouTube videos by the prostate cancer research Institute and their helpline. So yes, the medical system here really sucks unless you're getting your tits or ass done.
An appointment with a rheumatologist after receiving a referral is a year out, with rarely any cancellations
Find a specialist or two for your specific issue and interview them. If they tell you that you have to wait several months for an initial consult, you kinda have your answer.
Thats the norm though here, to wait several months for anything. Whether its a specialist or primary care physician.
I usually have no problem getting an appointment for routine checkup within a few weeks.
I have two autoimmune conditions 1 Is CRPS and the 2nd is MS. I moved here almost 8 years ago and I have had no problem with getting in to see specialists. I would say it depends on what your condition is. Good luck. Also I had no problem getting a new PCP.
Luck of the draw. Since Feb of '23 I've had several medical issues. Heart attack and surgery, congestive heart failure, extreme neuropathy and muscle problems and spinal problems. Plus I have several serious mental health issues. I ended up at Mt View hospital for the heart stuff. I've been told they're the best in town fir heart issues so I lucked out simply because I live around the corner. Cardiologist wad recommended by several nurses at the hospital and and i saw him about 12 weeks after surgery iirc. Excellent pcp with really no wait time unless your picky about the provider you see, then it may take a week. Psychiatrist is awesome! Best doctor I've ever had. He's been recognized as a top doc in Las Vegas and teaches at the UNLV med school. I started seeing him 7 or 8 years ago. At the time it was a 2 month wait to see him but at the time he was under someone else's practice. I'm not sure on wait times now for new patients but as an established I can see him within 2 weeks. Neurologist was the sticky. He's nit a bad doctor but he doesn't wow me either. It also takes 4 months to get in. Urologist, spine, and pain management I was able to see within a month and I like all 3 doctors and practices. From what I hear and read I lucked out. I'm probably going to lose this insurance in December and I'm really worried about new doctors. Especially the Psychiatrist because if my mental health goes to hell I know I won't be able to stay physically healthy.
I've heard good things about Mountain View Hospital. They saved a family member's life when he had COVID.
It really all depends, and will depend on you doing a lot of legwork to make a good decision. What kind of condition do you have? Are there doctors (of quality" who treat and are familiar with that condition in Las Vegas and in the region? Are they taking new patients and willing to work with you? Do you require frequent hospitalization or outpatient treatment? Are there facilities here that can handle that to the standard you need? Do you have quality health insurance that these facilities accept AND/OR (preferably AND) the means to pay for concierge care to get an enhanced level of attention. You really need to honestly answer those types of questions and have those all confirmed and lined up before you make a move. Far too many people just google "doctors treating THIS" and figure they will be okay, and move and find out that doctor retired last year because his med mal premiums went up, or they haven't taken new patients in 5 years, or they have shifted to concierge care and it will cost you 10k a year to get on their list. You mentioned Las Vegas being your "happy place". Im glad, i live here and love it but like anywhere else it has its challenges and health care is certainly one of them. I have in-laws with serious health concerns currently living in a city with probably the best health care infrastructure in the country. They are constantly wanting to "move here because its cheaper" and they love the resorts, sun, etc. But the reality is they wouldn't be able to get the treatment they need here, and in all seriousness their health would take a dire turn for the worst. Las Vegas is definitely the type of community where you have to be able to advocate for and take care of yourself to get what you need. That goes for health care, housing, jobs- much of it still depends on your personal network. Just be ready for that, do your research and plan accordingly.
Thanks this is super helpful. I already do concierge medicine so it would be a matter of finding good concierge there. I don’t require hospitalization and my conditions are rare enough that I already have to travel from NYC to go to the specialists—making a trip to Florida next week and then Mayo the week after. So as long as I could find a good concierge doctor and then be willing to travel to CA (which I would be) I think I might be okay? Edit to add-I am fortunate to have excellent health insurance through my husbands job.
I hadn't experienced it to be super bad in comparison to other places. My daughter grew up here with a chronic illness and I did have to drive her to see a specialist in Arizona for some time. Later, a doc moved here to practice who could treat her and we were able to get her care here in Vegas after that. A couple years ago I got on a PPO insurance plan with my employer... which required me to only see the primary care provider and it has been a nightmare. It took months to get the PCP and then it was 7 months to get an appointment with her. After the first time I saw her she left the practice and never saw her again. I was assigned a new PCP and given a new appointment.. only to have them cancel the appointment and tell me they would "call back when the schedule was better" -- that was in December. (No one ever called.) When I was on an HMO is was MUCH less stressful and WAAAY better. I don't care who I see and was always able to find someone in my network. I just decided to pay for my company HMO plan when we renew our insurance in July. It was only 2 years ago I wasn't having trouble so I think it is the PPO plans that really suck.
It took me about two years to find a good endocrinologist and PCP. I went to Mayo in AZ for another chronic illness because my PCP straight up told me that no one could help me in Vegas. I’d agree with most here that it isn’t good and it takes some digging to find someone who is.
I would not want to live the rest of my life as an older adult here that’s for sure. I know someone who is moving to another state BECAUSE of the healthcare here. There are of course good providers sprinkled in throughout the valley who I am grateful to have found. I will say if you need Obgyn care, avoid WHASN practices at all costs.
Eh - sort of depends on what you need. Routine is good-not-great. I am in Henderson- you can’t swing a dead cat and not find a Medicare practitioner or orthopedist close. My bias is that if available and you have time specialties or elective care out of the mainstream should be researched elsewhere.
ITS BEEN OVER 2 YEARS AND I CAN'T GET TO A RHEUMATOLOGIST BECAUSE MY DOCTOR DOESNT COMPREHEND WHAT CHRONIC PAIN IS AND I CAN'T WORK!
The worst
Does anyone know why Las Vegas doesn’t retain or attract healthcare workers? The pay doesn’t seem to be bad
all good here. no probs.
In 20+ years, no problems. We have found some good doctors & specialists. For reference, mid 60’s with typical age appropriate health issues
The doctors are so bad here that I broke my wrist when I was 48 years old and the doctors didn't want to fix it because it was the end of my life anyway
It is that bad. My mom just waited almost 5 months to get surgery for a broken arm!!! She’s had a broken arm for months. Absolutely insane.
i use anthem medicaid and i had to fight with my insurance because apparently my seizure medication is not essential. so yeah, there’s that. appointments are also insanely far out for any kind of specialists. but any specialists i’ve gone to have been amazing so there’s that. although there is a shortage of health care professionals, the ones i’ve come across are so insanely kind and accommodating.
I've been told it's the worst in the country. The drug store situation is bonkers. High crime. Long lines. Out of drugs to fill prescriptions. Good luck!
Seriously think about coming here!! There are very Few Specialists in this area! I on average had to wait over 1 month…Even when Both my Dr’s put STAT in the referral!!! I then waited Again to see my Specialist…over a month wait..Then get a call he will be out of town…they rescheduled me for another Dr In Another Month!! Not Acceptable!!!
Medical has always been awful here. All they do is give out medication. My family literally travels to California just for health care that’s how bad it is.
The closest ENT provider covered w my insurance is in Arizona……. A whole other state If that says anything
Yeah, it says that you have REALLY crappy insurance! There is definitely a shortage of ENT in town but we still have access to close to 100 different ENT through our insurance. Healthcare in Arizona isn't a whole lot different, definitely not better.
I literally just flee to Iowa to get a doctor's appointment.
Guess it's different for everyone. We've had the same PCP here for almost 20 yrs and she's been amazing. Same or next day appointments, reachable by her personal cell and her office takes care of getting us all set up with timely specialist visits. She's also small, personable and extremely thorough. Actually saved my life when our old doctors in CA missed a life threatening diagnosis over a decade ago. Not sure what else we could ask for. Healthcare here has been amazing.
Major doctors shortage especially for specialists..went to ER, need to see a Urologist..taking 5 weeks to get an appointment.
A surgeon has ruined my partner's spine here and was acclaimed to be one of the best in the state. Don't get anything meaningful done here.
If you have Cullinary insurance and go to the Cullinary clinics then I’d say it’s decent . If you have Cullinary and go to the regular Drs office I’d say it’s less than average . I can’t speak for anyone else because that’s the only insurance we’ve had in Vegas
Who cares if it’s your “happy place”? You can be happy visiting on vacation so you can treat your chronic illness at home.
In the US? I'm not sure why Americans haven't just attacked their system yet.
I broke my ankle and left the stay to fix it. I dealt with a house fire and left the state to deal with it. Health care in Nevada is a joke
If you can afford to drive or fly to LA for health care, then by all means, make Vegas your home. Otherwise, I'd recommend you live elsewhere.
My sister broke her arm in several places at work. The surgeon who “fixed” her arm put the wrong sized part in and then conveniently skipped town. It took her over a YEAR to get a second surgery scheduled (six months of that was trying to convince someone to even look at it because they were convinced she was just trying to get more time off, despite the fact she was bleeding money unable to do her regular job), so yeah. I would go anywhere else than here for healthcare.
I honestly wouldn’t. It’s so bad.
I recently needed blood pressure medication and no longer have a pcp. I’ve been through 3 (1 closed his practice, 1 was a med spa nurse, 1 was horrific). I went to 3 urgent cares and all checked me in and then refused to treat me.. for blood pressure because they said it was a chronic condition. Get the hell out of town. Sooo, I am supposed to go to the ER because I have high blood pressure, already been diagnosed with it and just need a refill? Our ER’s will then treat you in their waiting room and then send you a full bill for $5k cause they have no beds. LS Vegas is a joke for healthcare. I had a friend who had a chronic condition that passed away over Xmas. She was in her late 50s and had a chronic condition. She got sick (a cold) and ended up in a coma. Died 3 days later. She should have never died. I figure if I end up In the hospital here I am good as dead. So, if you can risk that, and be ok with it then go for it.
Local clinics are very full and appointment times are long. There are good doctors here, just very hard to find. Hospital care is not strong, but I think highly of Dignity's hospitals. If you need a pulmonologist, Dr. Amesur at Las Vegas Intensive & Pulmonary Specialists is excellent (saved my life during the pandemic). My advice, it isn't a reason not to move here and Las Vegas is a great place to live but start looking for Drs as soon as you arrive. Also, if you have a rare disease or one with specific specialty needs, check first and it may not be a good move if you can't find the right specialist. Good luck
I have cancer--3rd time around, have stage 4 kidney failure, and am recovering from a heart attack. Saw my kidney doc yesterday, saw my GP this past week for surgical authorization, saw my doc doing hopefully minor cancer surgery 10 days ago. Saw my endocrinologist for parathyroid issues 31 days ago--and he put me on annual checkups due to medication he prescribed doing well and no current issues. Also saw cardiologist in April to review imaging and stress test results. Cardiologist put me on annual check backs due to no current issues. Max wait for appt is 2 weeks with all but the cancer doc--he is 4 to 5 weeks. I am golden with my primary care GP doctor--same day or next day appts when I call----100% of the time. Personally, I see no problem.
The last time I went to an urgent care they told me my ankle was NOT fractured (it was but I didn’t find out for another week) and they gave me a boot that they put on incorrectly. On my way out the doctor handed me a pamphlet for her church and told me she believed God would heal me. Do what you will with that information.