Accomplishments

Dr, Spivak has an international reputation in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. He has 25 years of experience in the field, has published more than 50 articles, book chapters and abstracts, has had 7 years of National Institute of Health Research Funding and has trained more than a dozen Pediatric Gastroenterologist while directing Pediatric Gastroenterology Programs at Cornell University Medical College and at the Albert Einstein Medical College of Medicine. He currently is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Cornell University Medical College Dr. Spivak has been named one of the "Best Doctors in New York" by New York Magazine and Castle Connaly for the last 7 years.



Clinical Experience

During 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Spivak has always had a major focus on patient care. He has maintained a private practice outside of a hospital setting for 16 years, while also training pediatric gastroenterologists in a Hospital setting for 18 years. During the last 25 years, Dr. Spivak has taken care of more than 500 children with Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, including dozens below the age of 3 years. He has successfully managed more than 30 patients with short gut syndrome, some with as much as 90% of their intestine removed. He is an expert in pediatric cholestasis (jaundice with liver disease) and has important papers in the field.

 
Insurances Accepted and Office Fees

The office accepts Oxford Insurance and United Healthcare only. However, the majority of our patients have neither of these plans, yet choose to see Dr. Spivak because of his outstanding reputation and his conservative approach to management based on 25 years of experience. Payment is expected at time of service for non-Oxford or United Healthcare patients. In case of financial hardship, other arrangements can be made. We accept Visa and mastercard and Payment Plans can be arranged. The office will bill your insurance for out of  network coverage so that you will be reimbursed directly from your insurance company. Please call the office to make an appointment and discuss the first visit and follow-up visit fees.



Doctor Spivak isn't in my Insurance Plan, should I see him anyway?

Approximately 50% of the patients that are seen in the practice, have insurance plans that the office doesn't participate in (Note: we only participate in Oxford and United Healthcare). Nonetheless, their families choose to see Dr. Spivak because of his outstanding reputation. If  you have out of network coverage, we will bill your insurance company for you. In most cases, this covers 70-90% of the bill. For a follow-up visit, this translates to a patient responsibility of $20-$60. Parents recognize the importance of experience in diagnosing and treating their child's problems. With Dr. Spivak's experience, children undergo fewer procedures, and his treatment is directed at improving the problem with a minimum of diagnostic tests and drugs. Many times, this translates to less expense for the parents, since parents do not have to miss work with a child that continues to be ill or spend money on unnecessary medications.

One out of four patients who see Dr. Spivak have already seen other Pediatric Gastroenterologists. In some cases, if the patients had seen Dr. Spivak in the beginning, invasive diagnostic procedures could have been avoided.



We cannot afford to pay out of pocket, what should we do?

We understand that some families are unable to afford the difference between what your insurance will pay and our fees. We encourage these families to have discuss this matter privately with our office manager and we will try to accommodate your needs.

Appointments

Appointments are generally availabe within 2-4 business days. In case of an urgent matter, appointments, the office will make every attempt to book the appointment within 24 hours.


Speak to the Doctor

Dr. Spivak is available during office hours to answer questions of parents of children in the practice. However, if you have not yet made a first appointment with Dr. Spivak,  Dr. Spivak, will generally want to  wait until the first visit before speaking to you. If you wish to speak to the Doctor before the appointment, please inform the office manager why you must speak to the Doctor before the visit.