About me
Jessica Ailani, MD, is board certified in neurology, with added certification in headache. She sees patients at the McLean, Virginia, clinic.
Dr. Ailani is a clinical professor of neurology at MedStar's Georgetown University Hospital and director of the MedStar Georgetown Headache Center. Dr. Ailani treats a variety of headache disorders, most commonly migraine, cluster headache, and occipital neuralgia. She uses a wide variety of treatment options in headache management including neuromodulation, pharmacotherapy, infusion treatment for status migraine, and Botox for chronic migraine.
Dr. Ailani is involved in numerous clinical trials focused on new treatments in the migraine space..
She is dedicated to educating the field on headache disorders. She is a national and international speaker, invited to discuss migraine at headache and primary care meetings. She has spoken at the American Headache Society, Diamond Headache meeting, International Headache Society, American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and has presented abstracts at both national and internation meetings.
Because people don't always want to take medications, Dr. Ailani is very willing to work with patients in finding lifestyle solutions. If patients want medications, she is willing to treat the headache aggressively. Dr. Ailani uses an integrative approach, with care designed around what the patient wants, encompassing all possibilities.
Dr. Ailani and her husband are from New York, and enjoy the warmer weather in the D.C. area. While others might not think of Washington as "the south," it certainly is for these former Long Islanders. They appreciate the museums as well as the cultural mix of people and restaurants in the Washington metro area. Dr. Ailani also enjoys the diversity of patients she sees daily, coming from rural areas, the city, as well as internationally.
Read details about Dr. Ailani's background and accomplishments.
Clinical areas of focus
- Chronic Headache Treatment
- Migraine
Conditions and procedures
Procedures I perform
- Botox Injection For Migraines
- Chemodenervation Of Muscle
- Chronic Headache Treatment
- Tension Headache Treatment
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CIGNA EPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- UHC Passport
- Sentara Health
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna HMO
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Medicare Direct
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CareFirst NASCO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-EPO Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- MultiPlan, Inc
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- IH-Open HMO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Choice POS
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Classic 5000
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- OA Plus
- TRICARE East Select
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- CIGNA Indemnity
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- IH-Indemnity
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- IH-HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- IH-Open POS II
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- IH-Network Only Plus
- First Health PPO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Choice POS II
- IH-Open POS Plus
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- IH-POS Plus
- Navigate
- Aetna VA Exchange
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- IH-PPO
- POS OA
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Choice Fund PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- CareFirst EPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Employee Health Plan
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Medicare FFS
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CIGNA PPO
- First Health PPO
- Aetna Basic
- IH-POS
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- TRICARE for Life East
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- United Student Resources
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Network OA
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- HighMark
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
Videos
Education
Fellowship: Thomas Jefferson University Headache Fellowship (2009)
Residency: New York University Langone Medical Center-GME (2008)
Internship: Winthrop-University Hospital (2005)
Graduate: SUNY Stony Brook University (2004)
Awards
- American Headache Society Above and Beyond Award 2021
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
https://www.glamour.com/story/after-40-years-of-hell-heaven-is-migraine-relief
https://www.self.com/story/chronic-illness-elevator-pitch
https://www.self.com/story/migraine-hangover-facts
https://www.self.com/story/migraine-stigma
https://www.self.com/story/cluster-headaches-facts
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a24892333/migraine-symptoms/
https://www.prevention.com/health/a22865459/alcohol-facts-myths/
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/health/the-truth-about-aspirin/351661504
https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/new-era-migraine-relief
https://www.phillyvoice.com/migraines-treatment-cgrp-inhibitors-effective-headache-survey/
https://www.ajmc.com/view/contemporary-management-of-migraine-an-interview-with-jessica-ailani-md
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-it-works-injectable-treatments-for-migraine
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/so-much-more-headache/202105/migraine-sufferers-appreciate-support-more-advice
https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/fulltext/2020/10080/so_many_migraine_therapies,_so_many_decisions_.2.aspx
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/947086
https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/blog/neurologytodayconferencereportersaanannualmeeting/pages/post.aspx?PostID=125
https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20191211/dhe-reemerges-as-magic-migraine-treatment
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emgality-demonstrates-reduction-in-frequency-duration-and-pain-severity-in-patients-with-episodic-and-chronic-migraine-301078159.html
https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20200224/fda-approves-vyepti-first-iv-preventive-treatment-for-migraine