Pooja Mohan Rao, MD| Neurology | MedStar Health
About me
Pooja Rao, MD, joins MedStar Health as a neurologist and assistant professor for the department of Neurology. Board certified in internal medicine, neurology, neurophysiology, and electrodiagnostic medicine, Dr. Rao has a special interest in research trials for neuromuscular disorders and genemodifying therapies. In her clinical practice, she is committed to embodying the cura personalis philosophy of treating the whole person. She believes in making shared decisions with her patients about treatment options based on their unique needs. Dr. Rao is involved in advocacy efforts to bring high-quality care to patients with neurologic diseases.
Clinical areas of focus
- Migraine
- Multiple Sclerosis
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Movements
- Acute Disseminated Demyelination
- Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Aphagia And Dysphagia
- Aphasia
- Benign Essential Tremor
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
- Brain Disorders
- Brain Tumor
- Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Cognitive Function Disorders
- Convulsions
- Dementia
- Demyelinating Diseases Of Central Nervous System
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- Dysphagia
- Dystonia
- Dystonia Disorder
- Epilepsy And Seizures
- Extrapyramidal And Movement Disorders
- Extrapyramidal Symptoms
- Facial Nerve Disorder
- Facial Paralysis
- Gait And Balance Problems
- Headache
- Hemiplegic Migraine
- Hereditary Ataxia
- Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
- Huntington's Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Idiopathic Neuropathy
- Lack Of Coordination
- Lack Of Coordination And Balance
- Migraine
- Migraine With Aura
- Mononeuropathy Of Lower Limb
- Mononeuropathy Of Upper Limb
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscle Weakness
- Myasthenic Crisis
- Myoneural Disorders
- Myopathies
- Myotonia
- Neck Nerve And Spinal Cord Injury
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Nervous System Disorders
- Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
- Ocular Myasthenia Gravis
- Parkinson's Disease
- Primary Progressive Aphasia
- Seizure Disorders
- Sensory Ataxia
- Sensory Neuropathy
- Spastic Hemiparesis
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy And Related Syndromes
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1
- Status Epilepticus
- Swallowing Disorders
- Tardive Dyskinesia
- Transient Cerebral Ischemic Attacks
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
- Tremors
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Vestibular Disorders
- Vestibular Migraine
- Vestibular Neuritis
- Wallenberg Syndrome
Procedures I perform
- Atonic Epilepsy Treatment
- Cervicogenic Dizziness Treatment
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Treatment
- Cholestasis Treatment
- Chronic Headache Treatment
- Cognitive Impairment Therapy
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Dementia Treatment
- Demyelinating Optic Neuropathy Treatment
- Dystonia Treatment
- Electroencephalogram
- Electroencephalogram Review
- Electroencephalogram Setup And Takedown
- Electromyography
- Epilepsy Surgery
- Huntington's Disease Management
- Inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring
- Median Nerve Conduction Studies
- Movement Disorder Treatment
- Muscle Biopsy
- Myasthenia Gravis Treatment
- Nerve Block
- Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment
- Neuroimmunology Treatment
- Neuromuscular Testing
- Neuro-Otology
- Neuropsychological Testing
- Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis
- Status Epilepticus Treatment
- Stroke Management
- 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
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Sentara Health
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- First Health PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Choice POS II
- CareFirst NASCO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Student Resources
- IH-Network Only Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna HMO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Tricare Reserve Select
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Choice Fund PPO
- HighMark
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- CIGNA PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- IH-Open POS II
- IH-POS
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- POS OA
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Network OA
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- IH-POS Plus
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- IH-Open HMO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Basic
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst EPO
- Optimum Choice
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Beech Street PPO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Medicare Direct
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- OA Plus
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- TRICARE for Life East
- United Healthcare Choice
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Medicare FFS
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- IH-PPO
- Choice POS
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- TRICARE East Select
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- IH-HMO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- IH-EPO Plus
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- First Health PPO
- UHC Passport
- CIGNA Indemnity
- IH-Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CIGNA EPO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Aetna Classic 3500
- TRICARE East Prime
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Navigate
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurology
Fellowship: Georgetown University School of Medicine GME (2019)
Residency: Georgetown University School of Medicine GME (2018)
Residency: Providence Hospital GME (2015)
Medical School: K.S. Hegde Medical Academy (2010)