Your Right to a Second Opinion

Coverage for a second opinion isn't universal — it depends on your state and plan type, so the first move is asking your insurer directly whether it's covered before you schedule anything, not after. Medicare specifically covers second opinions before surgery, and will often cover a third if the first two disagree. A second opinion doesn't have to come from an in-network provider in every state, so it's worth asking. Before you go, request your records be sent ahead — imaging, pathology slides, notes — since a new provider working from your actual scans and slides, not just a summary, is what makes a second opinion genuinely useful rather than a repeat of the first one. In Canada, this typically runs through your family doctor or GP as a referral rather than an insurance question — the real practical factor is usually wait time, not cost.