Unbiased. Nonprofit. No ads or money from businesses we rate.

Find, rate, and compare home-improvement contractors, health-care providers, repair shops, financial services, veterinarians, stores, dentists, and more than 100 other types of service providers.

Boston area red bullet Chicago area red bullet Delaware Valley area red bullet Puget Sound area red bullet San Francisco Bay Area red bullet Twin Cities area red bullet Washington, DC area red bullet
We have emergency room ratings for these seven metro areas.
What to Do If There is Immediate Danger to Life or Ability to Function

What to Do If There is Immediate Danger to Life or Ability to Function

When first confronted with an illness or injury, you must quickly decide whether the case is life threatening—whether there’s a risk of death or permanent disability if the patient does not receive immediate care (within 30 minutes or less).

What to Do If the Case Is Urgent but Not Life-Threatening

What to Do If the Case Is Urgent but Not Life-Threatening

The most difficult decisions involve cases in which you feel safe waiting 30 minutes or more to receive care, but still require treatment at a hospital, rather than at an urgent care clinic or doctor's office.

Cases that Do Not Require Prompt Medical Attention

Cases that Do Not Require Prompt Medical Attention

Many cases are not even urgent, of course. These cases could await a visit to an urgent care clinic or a family doctor during regular hours.

Take Charge of Your Healthcare

Take Charge of Your Healthcare

Take charge by selecting the best doctors and other providers and making decisions about your medical care. Here's how.

How to Find the Best Doctors

How to Find the Best Doctors

The most important thing you can do to assure yourself high-quality medical care is to form a strong relationship with a good primary care physician and, at times, together make informed decisions on specialty care.

Does It Matter If Your Doctor Is Board Certified?

Does It Matter If Your Doctor Is Board Certified?

We advise consumers to select physicians who are “board certified,” and we report on board certification status in our ratings tables. We describe here what board certification means and why it is important.

Finding a Dentist Who Makes You Smile

Finding a Dentist Who Makes You Smile

The feedback we collected from consumers on their dentists indicate substantial differences in patient care from dentist to dentist.

How to Take a Big Bite Out of Dental Costs

How to Take a Big Bite Out of Dental Costs

When choosing a dentist, you should care most about quality of care. But for many patients, cost matters, too. Fortunately, we found that many dentists who rated high on all aspects of care and service also had low fees.

Dental Specialties: Who Does What?

Dental Specialties: Who Does What?

Endodontists and periodontists and prosthodontists, oh my! Here’s who does what.

Which Eyewear Stores Are the Best?

Which Eyewear Stores Are the Best?

Our ratings of eyewear outlets reveal sizeable differences in customer satisfaction.

Where to Find the Best Prices on Glasses and Contacts

Where to Find the Best Prices on Glasses and Contacts

We found that some stores charge far higher prices as their competitors for identical eyeglass frames and lenses. For contacts (with exam and fitting), price differences were even larger.

Is the Market for Eyeglasses Frames Gamed?

Is the Market for Eyeglasses Frames Gamed?

You'll find thousands of choices of eyeglasses frames. But in actuality, much of this variety is an illusion: The eyewear market is dominated by the Italian Luxottica Group.