What to check before seeing a specialist

Disclaimer: Informational directory only. Puerto Rico Experts does not give medical advice, and a listing is not a referral, recommendation or endorsement of any physician. Confirm credentials and whether the physician accepts your health plan directly with the office. In an emergency, call 911.

Before seeing a specialist, check five things: the license, the board certification, your plan's coverage, the logistics and what to bring. This checklist helps you do it with official sources. It is general information: it is not medical advice or a recommendation of any physician.

1. The license

In Puerto Rico, the license to practice medicine is granted by the Board of Licensing and Medical Discipline (Junta de Licenciamiento y Disciplina Médica) of the Department of Health. Verify it on the ORCPS license verification page (in Spanish), searching by name and last names or by license number: check the status, the expiration date and the “¿Tiene restricción?” (has a restriction?) column. According to the official notice on that page, a restriction does not imply the professional is unable to practice. In our Doctors directory, each listing shows what we found in that public search (license number, status, expiration date and check date) with the “✓ License checked with the regulator” badge. Statuses change: confirm it yourself too.

2. Board certification

The license authorizes practice; board certification is a separate credential. Verify it free of charge on Certification Matters, from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), searching by the doctor's last name: the result shows whether the certification is valid and whether the doctor keeps it up to date. A doctor may be licensed without being certified by one of the 24 ABMS boards; the two are different. Puerto Rico Experts does not verify board certification.

3. Your health plan coverage

Confirm twice: call the office and ask whether it accepts your specific plan and whether it is accepting new patients, then confirm with your insurer. Also ask whether your plan requires a referral or prior authorization and what your copay or deductible would be. Our directory has the “Accepts your health plan” filter, with the source of each data point, but plan acceptance is reported by the provider (or the insurer's directory) and can change.

4. Logistics

Confirm the exact address and town, the office hours, the wait time, whether telehealth is offered and what to do if you need to cancel or reschedule. If you use Medicare, Care Compare on Medicare.gov lets you search for doctors and clinicians enrolled in Medicare; according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), their profiles include a telehealth indicator and affiliations with hospitals and other facilities. Also check how to get there: parking, public transportation and accessibility.

5. Prepare for the visit

Bring your plan card and an ID, a list of the medications you use and your known allergies, and any prior reports you have on hand. Write down the questions you want to ask and, if you wish, ask a family member to come with you. If any check turns up a discrepancy (an expired license, a restriction or coverage different from what was advertised), clarify the point with the office, your insurer or the Board before continuing.