How do you find a Medicare-approved doctor?

Patients can use the Physician Compare tool at the Medicare website to locate a group of doctors in their area that accept Medicare. They can also use this tool to look specifically for doctors who accept Medicare payments as payment in-full, states Kiplinger.

1. Find the Physician Compare tool

Go to the Medicare website and click on the "Forms, Help and Resources" tab in the upper-right corner. On the next page, click on the "Find and Compare doctors, hospitals and other providers" link in the left menu. This redirects to a menu where doctors, nursing homes and hospitals can be found, according to Medicare. Click on the "Doctors and other health professionals" link.

2. Fill in the search terms

Enter the ZIP code for the desired search area and the specifics for the type of doctor needed. This can be a general physician, podiatrist or a search for a doctor by name. Click on the "Search" button.

3. Scroll down the list

Scroll down the list of Medicare approved doctors and look for a small icon with the letter "M" on it next to the "Distance" column for each doctor. This indicates that the doctor accepts Medicare payments as payment in-full for treatment and services.