Podiatry

• Foot & Ankle Arthritis
• Gout

• Diabetic Ulcers
• Wound Care

• Fractures
• Flat Feet
• High Arch Foot

• Heel Pain
• Heel Spur

• Athlete’s Foot
• Corns & Calluses
• Foot Fungus

• Ankle Sprains
• Foot & Ankle Fractures

• Bunion Treatment (Including Lapiplasty)
• Hammertoes
• Neuromas

• Fungal Infections
• Ingrown Toenails

• Aetna Select
• Open Access Selects
• Elect Choice
• Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
• Aetna Choice POS II
• Managed Choice
• Open Choice PPO
• Aetna Medicare Advantage Plans

CLS Health does not accept:

• Aetna CVS Marketplace Plans

* Some providers may not accept this insurance, please call to confirm

• Superior Ambetter Core (Complete, Clear, Focused, Standard Silver and Gold)
• Superior Ambetter Value (Clear Value Silver, Focused Value Silver, CMS Standard Silver & Gold Value, Everyday Value Gold)
• Superior Ambetter Virtual (Ambetter Virtual Access Silver, CMS Standard Virtual Access Basic Silver, Ambetter Virtual Access Gold)
• Superior Health Plan CHIP*
• Superior Health Plan MAPD (Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug)
• Superior Health Plan Medicare
• Superior Health Plan MMP Medicaid*
• Superior Health Plan MMP Medicare
• Superior Health Plan STAR*
• Superior Health Plan STAR Kids*
• Superior Health Plan STAR+PLUS*

CLS Health participates in most Blue Cross Blue Shield plans including:

• Blue Choice PPO
• Blue Essentials
• Blue Essentials Access
• HealthSelect
• HealthSelect of Texas In Area
• Consumer Directed HealthSelect in Area
• HealthSelect of Texas Out of State
• Consumer Directed Health Select Out of State
• HealthSelect Secondary 65+
• Medicare Advantage HMO
• Medicare Advantage PPO
• Medicare Advantage Value HMO
• POS
• Traditional/Par Plan
• TRS-Active Care
• TRS-Care Standard
• BCBS MyBlue Health (Marketplace)

*Some providers may not accept Community Health Choice, please call to confirm

• MarketplacePremier
• Medicaid*CHIPCHIP PerinateSTAR
• Medicare AdvantageDual-Special Needs Plan (D-SNP)

CLS Health accepts most Cigna plans, including:

• Cigna HMO
• Cigna Local Plus
• Cigna Open Access Plus
• Cigna PPO

• ChoiceCare PPO
• EPO
• HMO
• HMO Premier
• Medicare Advantage Plans
• HumanaChoice - Medicare Advantage PPO plan
• Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan
• Human Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage HMO & Special Needs Plan
• Military (TRICARE South Region Military Health Plan)
• POS - including Choice POS, National POS Open Access/Plus and Preferred POS Open Access.
• PPO

*Some providers may not accept United Healthcare, please call to confirm

• Commercial, HMO, POS, EPO and PPO Plans (Charter, Choice,Core, Doctors Plan, Freedon, Heritage, Navigate, Nexus ACO, Options PPO, Passport Connect, Select)
• Indemnity
• Medicare Advantage (AARP, Care Improvement Plus, C-SNP, D-SNP, I-SNP, Erickson Advantage, ERS Medicare Advantage, TRS-Care Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare Chronic Complete, UnitedHealthcare Connected (Medicare-Medicaid Plan), UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete, UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage PPO, United Healthcare Medicare Complete)
• Community Plans* (CHIP, CHIP Perinate, Star, Star Kids, Star Plus, MMP)
• Wellmed (Wellmed Dual SNP Focus, Wellmed Medicare Advantage Focus)

*Some providers may not accept Wellpoint, please call to confirm

• Medicaid (All Texas Plans Including the Below)*
• CHIP
• CHIP Perinate
• STAR
• STAR+PLUS
• STAR Kids
• Medicare Advantage
• C-SNP
• D-SNP
• I-SNP
• Medicare Advantage HMO
• Medicare-Medicaid (MMP)
• Medicare-Medicaid Program (MMP)
• STAR+PLUS MMP

*Some providers may not accept insurance, please call to confirm

PPO Networks

• Beechstreet PPO
• Carnival Cruise Lines PPO
• Envolve Benefit Options Vision-PPO, HMO
• First Health
• Curative/First Health
• Galaxy Health Network
• HealthSmart Preferred Care
• Accel
• Healthsmart Payors Organization
• Multiplan PPO
• Tricare (Humana) PPO/Prime

Employer-Specific Plans

• Brazoria County Employees – Aetna TPA Brazoria County Employees

Workers’ Compensation Plans

• Workers’ Comp
• Auto & Workers’ Comp

Medicare and Medicare Advantage

• Medicare Traditional
• Medicare Advantage
• Memorial Hermann Health Solutions Commercial and Medicare
• Molina Medicare Complete Care HMO SNP
• Medicare-Medicaid Program (MMP)
• STAR+PLUS MMP
• Alignment Health Plan
• AllyAlign Health
• American Health Plans
• Florida Complete Care
• Gold Kidney Health Plan
• Imperial Health
• Independent Health
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado
• Mass Advantage
• Presbyterian Health Plan
• PriorityHealth
• Provider Partners
• SCAN
• UCare
• Vantage Health Plan
• Verda Healthcare
• Zing Health

Medicaid and CHIP Programs

• Molina Healthcare* (Marketplace, Medicaid, CHIP, CHIP Perinate, STAR, STAR Kids, STAR+PLUS)
• Texas Children's Health Plans*
• TMHP (Traditional Medicaid) Traditional Medicaid

Specialty Plans

• VA Community Cares Network CCN

It depends on the type of foot pain you’re experiencing. A podiatrist specializes exclusively in diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the feet, ankles, and lower extremities, making them a great choice for issues like bunions, plantar fasciitis, ingrown toenails, or diabetic foot care. An orthopedist focuses on the musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, and muscles, and may be better suited for complex foot injuries or deformities requiring surgery. If you’re unsure, start with a podiatrist who can provide specialized care or refer you to an orthopedist if needed.

In many cases, you do not need a referral to see a podiatrist, especially if you are paying out-of-pocket or your insurance plan allows direct access to specialists. However, some insurance plans, including certain HMOs or Medicare, may require a referral from your primary care physician for coverage. It’s best to check with your insurance provider to confirm their requirements before scheduling an appointment.

Yes, podiatrists can prescribe medications. They can provide prescriptions for pain relief, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antifungals, and other medications to treat foot and ankle conditions. They can also administer injections, such as corticosteroids, for pain and inflammation. The specific medications they prescribe will depend on your condition and treatment plan.

Yes, podiatrists are trained and qualified to perform surgery on the feet, ankles, and lower extremities. This includes procedures for bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, fractures, tendon repairs, and more. Many podiatrists complete advanced surgical training during their residency, making them experts in both minor and complex foot and ankle surgeries. If surgery is needed, your podiatrist will discuss the best options for your condition.

Yes, podiatrists specialize in treating nail fungus. They can diagnose the infection and recommend effective treatments, such as topical or oral antifungal medications, laser therapy, or debridement (removal of infected nail portions). For severe cases, they may suggest removing the affected nail to allow a healthy nail to grow back. Podiatrists also provide guidance on preventing future fungal infections.

A podiatrist cannot diagnose diabetes but can identify foot-related symptoms that may indicate undiagnosed diabetes, such as poor circulation, nerve damage (neuropathy), slow-healing wounds, or frequent infections. If they suspect diabetes, they will refer you to a primary care physician or endocrinologist for blood tests and a definitive diagnosis. Regular foot exams with a podiatrist are essential for managing diabetes-related complications.

An orthopedist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) specializing in the entire musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body. They treat conditions like fractures, arthritis, and joint replacements, often focusing on larger areas such as hips, knees, and shoulders. A podiatrist, on the other hand, specializes exclusively in the feet, ankles, and lower extremities. As Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPMs), they diagnose and treat conditions like bunions, plantar fasciitis, diabetic foot issues, and ingrown toenails. While both can perform surgery, podiatrists focus solely on the lower limbs, offering more specialized foot and ankle care. If your pain is limited to the foot or ankle, a podiatrist is often the best choice for treatment.