Study Finds Long Wait Times to See a Neurologist
People in the United States often wait weeks for their first neurology appointment, even when they are insured.
A new study published April 29, 2026, in Neurology® found that people with employer-based or other commercial insurance waited an average of 50 days to see a neurologist for the first time.
Researchers reviewed five years of insurance claims data from more than 114,000 adults, measuring how long it took to see a neurologist after receiving a referral from their primary care doctor or the emergency department. On average, participants were 42 years old. The researchers examined how wait times differed based on factors such as sex, diagnosis, region of the country, and insurance type.
Women had shorter wait times—an average of seven days less than men. People with more urgent conditions like stroke, dizziness or vertigo, and traumatic brain injury, were seen about a week earlier than average. In contrast, people with multiple sclerosis waited about four days longer.
The researchers also looked at geographical regions and found that people living in the Northeast had the longest waits—an average of five days longer than other parts of the country. The study also found that regions with a higher population of non-Hispanic White residents tended to have shorter wait times.
Interestingly, the number of neurologists available in a region did not appear to affect wait times. “Our study found that when looking at wait times to see neurologists, it is not a simple supply and demand issue,” said study author John P. Ney, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of neurology at Yale University. “How long you wait to see a neurologist depends on things like how serious your condition is, your sex, where you live, and what kind of insurance you have.”
The researchers say improving access to neurological care may require changes to referral systems and better ways to match patients with the right specialists sooner.
Key Takeaways
- In this study, people with employer-based or other commercial insurance waited an average of 50 days to see a neurologist for the first time.
- The study found that women were seen an average of seven days sooner than men.
- The results showed that people living in the Northeast region of the U.S. waited five days longer than other regions.
- The number of neurologists available in a region did not appear to affect wait times.
Medically reviewed by Sarah Song, MD, MPH, FAAN
