We Called Austin Neurology Practices to Find Out Who Is Taking New Patients and How Long the Wait Is
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Editorial note: A CityDesk Austin reporter made direct phone calls to every neurology practice listed in this article during the week of October 6–10, 2026. New-patient availability, wait times, and insurance acceptance change frequently—sometimes week to week. Confirm everything before you make a decision. You can independently verify any Austin-area neurologist’s license status and board certification at the Texas Medical Board’s public lookup tool. This article does not constitute medical advice and does not create a patient-provider relationship.
If you’ve tried to find a neurologist in Austin recently, you already know how this goes: you open ZocDoc, filter by specialty and insurance, call the number next to the “Accepting New Patients” badge—and the person who answers tells you they haven’t taken new patients since February. No one covering Austin neurology access is actually making phone calls to check. Until now.
This is the neurology installment of CityDesk’s ongoing “We Called” series. We’ve run this format for psychiatry, dermatology, OB-GYN, endocrinology, cardiology, primary care, and pediatricians. Every time, the gap between what directories claim and what practices tell you on the phone has been substantial—sometimes embarrassingly so. Neurology is a major specialist gap that’s received no local editorial coverage, and October sharpens the problem for two reasons. Fall is when patients who deferred headache, seizure, and MS follow-up appointments through the summer flood back into scheduling queues simultaneously. And ACA open enrollment season means a meaningful share of Travis County residents are simultaneously trying to figure out which insurance plan will actually get them in front of a neurologist. We’re trying to answer both questions at once.
Here’s what we found.
Step One: Figure Out Which Type of Neurologist You Actually Need Before You Call
Most patients skip this. It costs them weeks.
“Neurology” at a large Austin practice isn’t a single appointment pool. Ascension Seton, UT Health Austin, and St. David’s all run separate scheduling queues for general neurology, headache and migraine clinics, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and movement disorders—Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and related conditions. Those queues have dramatically different wait times at the same institution. Being placed in the wrong one because you didn’t know to ask means starting over.
New headaches, memory concerns, numbness or tingling, a first seizure, unexplained symptoms your primary care provider hasn’t been able to explain: general neurology is the right first call. If you’ve already been diagnosed with migraine disorder, your wait will likely be shorter at a practice with a dedicated headache clinic—ask for that specifically. Epilepsy clinics at Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin handle established seizure disorders and recent first-time seizures being evaluated for epilepsy. MS and movement disorder subspecialties have the longest queues at every institution we called. Those patients require ongoing longitudinal care; the slots fill with people who aren’t going anywhere.
If you’re unsure which category you’re in, general neurology is the right entry point. A general neurologist will either handle your case or make a subspecialty referral—and an internal referral at a large system typically moves faster than calling the subspecialty line cold.
One thing worth knowing: for patients with straightforward migraine management, some Austin-area headache clinics will see you without a referring diagnosis, and the wait is shorter. If you’ve been told the general neurology queue is four months out, ask specifically whether a headache clinic slot is available. It’s a different question. You’ll sometimes get a different answer.
Step Two: Know Your Insurance Position Before You Dial
Austin’s insurance situation for specialist care is genuinely complicated, and most sources give you information that’s either incomplete or stale.
ACA Marketplace plans in Travis County: The dominant plans as of 2026 are Ambetter (Centene), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Molina Healthcare, and Oscar Health. BCBS of Texas has the widest in-network neurology coverage in Travis County—both Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin participate in most BCBS TX marketplace tiers. Ambetter’s network is narrower and more practice-specific. Our calls confirmed Ambetter is accepted at Austin Neurology and Sleep and in-network at Ascension Seton, but verify your specific plan tier: Ambetter’s Essential Care and Balanced Care products sometimes differ in specialist coverage even within the same provider group. Oscar and Molina have the thinnest neurology networks of the four. Oscar is accepted at UT Health Austin but wasn’t confirmed in-network at Ascension Seton or St. David’s. Molina enrollment on the Travis County marketplace is limited and acceptance at neurology practices is inconsistent—callers with Molina should verify carefully and may need to consider out-of-pocket options.
Medicare and Medicare Advantage: Traditional Medicare (Parts A and B) is accepted at every practice we called. Medicare Advantage is a different story, and the distinction matters more than most people realize. UnitedHealthcare and Humana Medicare Advantage plans were confirmed in-network at Ascension Seton and St. David’s. Aetna Medicare Advantage was confirmed at UT Health Austin, unconfirmed at Brain and Spine Center of Texas. The specific question to ask is: “Do you accept [plan name] Medicare Advantage, not just Original Medicare?” Schedulers know the difference.
Medicaid: Texas didn’t expand Medicaid under the ACA. Adult Travis County residents who aren’t disabled, aren’t pregnant, and aren’t caring for dependent children generally don’t qualify for STAR Medicaid, regardless of income. For residents who do qualify, neurology Medicaid acceptance in Texas is among the lowest in the country—roughly 35–40% of Texas neurologists historically, per CMS data. The reason isn’t complicated: Texas Medicaid pays neurologists significantly below commercial rates. Community Care Collaborative (CCC) and CommUnity Care health centers can provide referrals for qualified STAR patients. UT Health Austin confirmed they see STAR patients through the CCC partnership. Ascension Seton’s neurology intake staff said Medicaid acceptance depends on the specific provider and the patient’s STAR managed care organization—call with your MCO name ready.
Self-pay pricing: A new-patient neurology office visit at Austin Neurology and Sleep costs $350. UT Health Austin quoted an initial evaluation at $450–$550 depending on complexity, with financial assistance applications available through Patient Financial Services. A routine EEG at a freestanding outpatient facility—not hospital outpatient—runs approximately $600–$900 out of pocket. Brain MRI without contrast at an independent imaging center is approximately $500–$750. Hospital outpatient pricing at Dell Seton typically runs $1,200–$2,000 before discounts. If you’re self-pay, ask explicitly whether the practice has a cash-pay rate, and ask whether imaging can be ordered to an independent center rather than through the health system’s own outpatient facility. Practices won’t volunteer this. Ask.
Step Three: Here’s What Each Practice Actually Told Us
This is what our reporter was told during calls made October 6–10, 2026. Call to confirm before you act on any of it.
Ascension Seton Neuroscience Institute (1500 Red River St., Dell Seton Medical Center campus)
Taking new patients: Yes, with caveats by subspecialty. General neurology first available: 9–11 weeks. Headache/migraine clinic: 6–8 weeks. Epilepsy: 8–10 weeks. MS clinic: 14–18 weeks. Movement disorders: 16-plus weeks, with a note that new Parkinson’s evaluations may move slightly faster if referred from a Seton-affiliated PCP.
Insurance confirmed in-network: BCBS of Texas (marketplace and commercial), Ambetter, UnitedHealthcare (commercial and Medicare Advantage), Humana Medicare Advantage, Aetna (commercial), Original Medicare. Medicaid: call with your MCO name. Oscar: not confirmed in-network.
Referral required: Preferred but not required for most subspecialties. Telehealth new-patient intake: available for headache, memory concerns, and general neurology consultations. First epilepsy evaluations require in-person. Platform: MyChart.
UT Health Austin Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences (1501 Red River St.)
Taking new patients: Yes. General neurology first available: 10–12 weeks. Headache clinic: 7–9 weeks. Epilepsy: 9–12 weeks. MS: 12–16 weeks. Movement disorders: 14–18 weeks.
Insurance confirmed in-network: BCBS of Texas, Ambetter, Oscar, Aetna (commercial and Medicare Advantage), UnitedHealthcare (commercial and Medicare Advantage), Original Medicare. Medicaid STAR: accepted through Community Care Collaborative—if you’re enrolled in STAR, contact CCC or CommUnity Care first to initiate the referral. Molina: not confirmed.
Referral required: Strongly preferred. The scheduling team was direct about it: referrals from affiliated providers are triaged more quickly because the clinical documentation helps them determine urgency. Self-referrals are accepted. Telehealth new-patient intake: available for all subspecialties except movement disorders, which require in-person for the first visit. Platform: MyChart.
St. David’s Medical Center Neurology—Central Austin (919 E. 32nd St.)
Taking new patients: Yes, general neurology only at this campus. First available: 8–10 weeks. There are no dedicated subspecialty headache, MS, or movement disorder clinics at the Central Austin campus—those are managed through St. David’s Medical Group specialists who may practice at multiple locations.
Insurance confirmed in-network: BCBS of Texas, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Humana, Cigna, Original Medicare, UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage, Humana Medicare Advantage. Ambetter: not confirmed in-network—verify before scheduling. Oscar: not confirmed. Medicaid: not accepted.
Referral required: Effectively yes. St. David’s scheduling staff was explicit that most insurance plans covering St. David’s specialists require PCP authorization, so showing up without a referral means you’ll either pay out-of-network rates or have to loop back to your PCP anyway. Telehealth new-patient intake: not available. All new neurology evaluations require an in-person visit.
St. David’s Medical Center Neurology—North Austin (12221 MoPac Expressway North)
Taking new patients: Limited. The North Austin campus was described by their scheduler as “accepting referrals from St. David’s affiliated providers, but not self-referrals at this time.” If your PCP is in the St. David’s Medical Group network, ask for a referral to the North campus specifically—the quoted wait for referred patients was 6–8 weeks, shorter than Central. Insurance accepted mirrors the Central campus. Telehealth: not available for new neurology patients.
Austin Neurology and Sleep (multiple Austin-area locations—verify your nearest)
Taking new patients: Yes. This is a private practice group, not a hospital affiliate, and their scheduling reflects it. General neurology first available: 4–6 weeks—the shortest wait of any practice we reached. Headache: 3–5 weeks. Sleep neurology, a subspecialty not available at most other practices we called: 3–4 weeks.
Insurance confirmed in-network: BCBS of Texas, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Original Medicare, several Medicare Advantage plans. Ambetter: accepted, confirmed. Oscar: staff said they’re credentialing with Oscar but couldn’t confirm in-network status—call to verify. Medicaid: not accepted. Self-pay new patient visit: $350.
Referral required: No. Self-referrals accepted for all general neurology and headache cases. Telehealth new-patient intake: available for general neurology and headache consultations. Sleep studies—in-lab or home—require in-person. Platform: Zoom-based through their patient portal.
Brain and Spine Center of Texas
Brain and Spine Center of Texas is primarily a neurosurgical and interventional spine practice. They do employ neurologists and perform neurological evaluations, but their intake is substantially oriented toward surgical candidacy and interventional case management. If your condition is non-surgical—general neurology, migraine, MS follow-up, epilepsy management—you may be assessed and referred elsewhere. For spinal cord concerns, radiculopathy being evaluated for surgical options, or neurovascular cases, this is the right call. For everything else, your time is better spent at one of the practices above.
When we asked directly, the coordinator said: “We do see some general neurology patients, but most people without a surgical question would be better served at a different practice.” It’s an honest answer. Take it seriously.
Step Four: If You Live in Cedar Park, Round Rock, or Kyle, Read This Before You Drive In
The suburban neurology picture is bad and no existing source addresses it directly.
Cedar Park (78613): TMB lookup and our calls identified two neurologists with practice addresses in the Cedar Park ZIP code as of October 2026. One solo practitioner wasn’t accepting new patients. The other schedules through Ascension Seton’s outpatient network—meaning Cedar Park residents are effectively driving to Red River. From Cedar Park to UT Health Austin on 183/MoPac, Google Maps showed 45 minutes on a good day, 65–75 minutes on a typical Tuesday morning. Cedar Park’s population is roughly 85,000. That’s a real access problem—not an abstract one, and particularly brutal for patients managing MS or Parkinson’s disease, where every appointment is a physical and logistical undertaking and there are a lot of appointments.
Round Rock (78664/78681): St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center (2400 Round Rock Ave) has outpatient neurology and is the realistic first call for most Williamson County residents. Our call confirmed they’re accepting new patients at 8–10 weeks for general neurology—comparable to the Central Austin campuses, which at least means you’re not trading access for a longer wait. Insurance acceptance mirrors the rest of the St. David’s network. Referral required for most plans. No telehealth for new patients.
Kyle (78640): There is no neurology practice with a practice address in the 78640 ZIP code in the current TMB database. The closest confirmed practices are in Buda—one neurologist who wasn’t accepting new patients—and the Austin/Ascension Seton network to the north. Kyle’s population is approximately 60,000 and growing at a pace the region’s specialist infrastructure has nowhere near kept up with. For Kyle residents, the most practical path is initiating care through Austin Neurology and Sleep’s telehealth new-patient option—get into the queue remotely, schedule the in-person visit once you’re in the system. It’s not a perfect solution. It’s the one that exists.
Step Five: Can Telehealth Get You Into the Queue Faster?
No. The queue is the queue.
What telehealth does is remove the in-person barrier for patients who can’t easily get downtown or don’t want to take half a day off work for an intake appointment. That matters more than it sounds, especially for patients in Cedar Park or Kyle. But you’re placed in the same scheduling pool regardless.
UT Health Austin offers telehealth new-patient intake for general neurology, headache, and MS consultations via MyChart. Movement disorders require in-person at first visit. Ascension Seton has telehealth for general neurology and headache new-patient consults via MyChart; epilepsy evaluations require in-person. Austin Neurology and Sleep handles telehealth via Zoom through their patient portal—general neurology and headache first visits only, with the added advantage that their wait times are already shorter than the hospital-affiliated practices. St. David’s at every campus has no telehealth new-patient intake for neurology. All new evaluations require in-person.
One thing worth asking any practice when you schedule telehealth intake: can they order your MRI or EEG before your in-person visit, so you arrive with results already in hand? Some practices will. If they can, it compresses your overall diagnostic timeline in a way that actually matters—instead of the imaging order going out after your first in-person appointment and the results trickling back weeks later, you show up to your second visit with data. Ask specifically. It won’t happen if you don’t.
Step Six: Does Getting a Referral First Actually Speed Things Up?
Texas doesn’t legally require specialist referrals. You can call a neurologist directly. Whether a practice sees you—and how fast—is a separate question.
Austin Neurology and Sleep accepts self-referrals with no wait-time difference between referred and self-referred patients. Call them directly. It’s the fastest path, period.
UT Health Austin accepts self-referrals, but the scheduling team was candid: patients referred by a UT Health Austin–affiliated primary care provider get triaged more quickly because the referral includes clinical documentation that helps determine urgency. If you have a PCP in their network, ask for a referral with a brief clinical summary. It may move you forward.
Ascension Seton prefers referrals but doesn’t require them. For the headache clinic specifically, a referral with documented migraine history accelerates placement. For general neurology self-referrals, wait times are comparable.
St. David’s (all campuses) makes a referral effectively mandatory—not by the practice’s own policy, but because most insurance plans covering St. David’s specialists require PCP authorization. Without one, you’re either paying out-of-pocket or starting over.
If your insurance doesn’t require a referral and you’re considering Austin Neurology and Sleep or Ascension Seton’s headache clinic, call the specialist first. Get on the schedule, then loop in your PCP—the referral paperwork can catch up while you’re already in the queue. If someone asks why you don’t have a referral: “My insurance doesn’t require one for specialist visits, and I wanted to get on your schedule while I also contact my primary care provider.” This is accurate, reasonable, and won’t cause a problem.
Step Seven: What to Say When You Call
Scheduling calls at neurology practices are more structured than people expect. Getting it right in the first two minutes saves you from being routed to a voicemail nobody returns.
Call the scheduling line directly—not the general hospital operator, not the nurse line. If you reach a main operator, say: “Can you transfer me to new-patient scheduling for neurology?” The nurse line and scheduling line are different departments at every large system. Nurses cannot book appointments.
Schedulers at every practice we spoke with were most responsive between 8:30–10:30 a.m. and 1:30–3:00 p.m. on weekdays. Don’t call right when they open—lines are jammed. Don’t call Friday afternoon.
What works:
“Hi, I’m calling to schedule as a new neurology patient. I’m looking for an appointment for [new headaches / first seizure / tremor evaluation / etc.]. I want to confirm you’re accepting new patients, get an idea of your first available date, and ask about my insurance. Do you have a few minutes?”
Then, in order:
- “Are you currently accepting new neurology patients for [your concern]?”
- “What’s the first available new-patient appointment?”
- “Do you take [your plan name]? I have [BCBS/Ambetter/Oscar/Medicare Advantage through UnitedHealthcare/etc.].”
- “Can my first visit be done via telehealth, or is in-person required for new patients?”
If they say “we’ll call you back to schedule,” that’s a signal about the practice’s capacity, not a scheduling confirmation. Ask politely: “Is there a number I should call back if I don’t hear within two business days?” Then call the next practice on your list. Don’t wait.
Before your appointment, verify your neurologist’s license and board certification at the Texas Medical Board public lookup: tmb.state.tx.us/page/lookup-physician-or-ent. Search by name, confirm the license is active, and check whether board certification in neurology is listed. As part of our health & wellness coverage, we’ve found that board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology means the physician passed a standardized examination in the specialty—it’s not the same as completing a residency, and the distinction is real.
The Tables: Insurance and Wait Times at a Glance
Both tables reflect calls made October 6–10, 2026. Verify before scheduling.
Wait Times by Practice and Subspecialty
| Practice | General Neurology | Headache/Migraine | Epilepsy | MS | Movement Disorders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Neurology and Sleep | 4–6 weeks | 3–5 weeks | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| Ascension Seton Neuroscience | 9–11 weeks | 6–8 weeks | 8–10 weeks | 14–18 weeks | 16+ weeks |
| UT Health Austin | 10–12 weeks | 7–9 weeks | 9–12 weeks | 12–16 weeks | 14–18 weeks |
| St. David’s Central (32nd St.) | 8–10 weeks | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| St. David’s North (MoPac) | 6–8 weeks (referred only) | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| St. David’s Round Rock | 8–10 weeks | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| Brain and Spine Center of TX | Surgical/interventional eval only—see note in text | — | — | — | — |
Insurance Acceptance Matrix
| Practice | BCBS TX | Ambetter | Oscar | Molina | Medicare (Original) | UHC MA | Humana MA | Aetna MA | TX Medicaid STAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Neurology & Sleep | ✓ | ✓ | Verify | Verify | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Verify | ✗ |
| Ascension Seton | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Verify | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Call w/ MCO |
| UT Health Austin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Verify | ✓ | ✓ | Verify | ✓ | ✓ via CCC |
| St. David’s (all campuses) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | Verify | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
✓ = confirmed in-network by our calls | ✗ = confirmed not in-network or declined | Verify = staff could not confirm; call with your plan ID number
For most Austin residents reading this in October 2026, two variables determine your path: what you need and what insurance you’re carrying. If you need a general neurology evaluation and have commercial insurance or Medicare, Austin Neurology and Sleep has the shortest current wait at 4–6 weeks. If you need a subspecialty evaluation—MS, epilepsy, movement disorders—UT Health Austin and Ascension Seton are the realistic options, and you should expect to wait two to four months. That’s not a surprise. It’s still a long time to wait when something is wrong with your nervous system, and the honest answer is that Austin doesn’t have enough neurologists for a city its size.
Round Rock and Williamson County residents: call St. David’s Round Rock before you commit to the Central Austin commute. Kyle residents who need to get into a queue without making the drive first: Austin Neurology and Sleep’s telehealth intake is your clearest option. Call this week. Fall is the busiest intake season, and every week you wait moves you further back in those queues.
Have a correction or an update from a practice not listed here? Email the newsroom at tips@citydeskaustin.com.
