Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need a referral to see Dr. Gazelle?
NO!  We want to make it as simple as possible for you to get your needs met.  To get help, all you have to do is pick up the phone and call 617-232-1600.  If it would be easier, all you have to do is send us an email.

Are you going to become my new doctor?
No, you will continue to have your regular doctors.  We work with your doctor or treatment team to make sure that all the pieces of your care are in place.  We provide an added layer of care.  MD Can Help is here to advocate for you, make sure that you have all the medical information you need, help you navigate the healthcare system, and provide you and your loved ones with emotional support. Our goal is to make sure that you and your loved ones have everything you need to feel good about your health care.  We make sure that you get the care that meets your needs, not just the care that treats your disease.

Does insurance cover any of your services?
At this time, most of the services provided by MD Can Help consultation are not covered by insurance companies.  Our goal is to provide guidance, advocacy, and support to you and your loved ones in the place where you need it most -- your home, assisted living residence, or nursing home.  We charge an hourly rate. We tailor our services to your individual needs and are available to you as much, or as little, as you need us.

Are you affordable?
Our hourly rate is similar to what care managers and therapists charge and lower than almost all lawyers in the greater-Boston area!

What if I don’t live in Massachusetts?
Dr. Gazelle only provides direct patient and family services to people in eastern Massachusetts. If you live in another state and would like assistance in caring for a loved one living in eastern Massachusetts, Dr. Gazelle is available to help.

Why would I need MD Can Help when I already have my own doctor?
Even if you have a wonderful doctor, you may feel like you would like more physician time. You may want your own personal physician consultant, advocate, and coach. If you are confused about your medical condition, you may want a doctor to come to your home, meet you on your own terms, and explain things in plain English. You may want a doctor to meet with family members and help everyone learn more about the situation and what lies ahead. If you have a serious medical condition, you may be getting care from many different doctors and feel like no one is looking at you as a whole. You may want to have a physician answer questions about next steps. If you have an aging parent you may want to have a physician consultant speak to their doctor or attend medical appointments to make sure you and your parent get all the needed information.  MD Can Help is here for you in any of these situations. 

Will my regular doctors get upset if I tell them that I am seeing you or bring you to one of my office visits?
At MD Can Help, we want you to have the best possible relationship with your doctor and get the best possible care. Dr. Gazelle is an expert in what she calls “the art of medical diplomacy.” She has honed her skills in working with other physicians and is very successful in developing collaborative relationships with treating physicians.
 
Why is there a need for this kind of service?
There is a great deal of concern that the American healthcare system is in crisis. Sometimes it seems like everyone has a story about long waits, a doctor who didn’t listen, someone who told them that “it was all in their head.” HMOs and insurance companies pay doctors much more for sticking a needle into you or performing a procedure than they do for the doctor to sit with you and answer your questions. Insurance companies often pay doctors extra for seeing more patients in less time. The average office visit is only 11 minutes long, which doesn’t leave much time for in-depth discussions. Physicians are also saddled with more and more paperwork, further taking away from the time they can give you. In short, the system is making it harder for physicians to provide excellent care and give people the time they deserve. MD Can Help fills this gap. We are available to you as much, or as little, as you need.

What type of patients can Dr. Gazelle help?
Dr. Gazelle's area of specialty is advocating and coordinating care for people with serious illnesses. She has found that these are the people who the medical system tends to fail. People with serious illnesses are the ones most often in need of a doctor who takes the time to listen, get answers to their questions, look at them in a holistic way, in addition to a doctor who attends to the needs of family members as well. Although part of the work Dr. Gazelle does is in hospice, at MD Can Help she works with people at any stage of their disease, many of whom go on to recover. Examples of serious illnesses where Dr. Gazelle can help are cancer, Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, heart, lung, or kidney disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease,) cirrhosis, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, or simply failure to thrive due to advanced age.

Do you provide second opinions?
No, Dr. Gazelle does not provide traditional second medical opinions. Dr. Gazelle CAN help you better understand your medical options and translate doctor-talk into plain English. Dr. Gazelle’s services include such things as interpreting medical jargon, developing lists of questions to ask at doctor’s appointments, taking a holistic view of all the care a person is receiving, providing insider tips, acting as a sounding board, and accompanying patients to medical appointments if requested. She acts as medical coach, care manager, and private consultant to the patient and family. If you need a standard second opinion, there are many hospitals that now provide this service.

Are there any types of illnesses where Dr. Gazelle cannot help?
Dr. Gazelle feels strongly that because of the complex and unique nature of chronic pain, people suffering from chronic pain need to be seen in an office setting by their primary care doctor or in a pain clinic.