
Ashok R. Shaha, MD, FACS
Surgeon
Titles
Jatin P. Shah Chair in Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology
Clinical Expertise
Head and Neck Surgery/Oncology; Thyroid Surgery
New Patient Appointments
Scheduling a visit is easy. Click below or call us to get started.
Dr. Shaha accepts the following list of insurance providers. Select your insurance provider to see more details.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with Aetna HMO, POS, and PPO plans. Aetna does not include us in any of the plans you can purchase through the insurance exchanges or through Medicare. Please ask your insurance if you need a one-time referral. MSK has an agreement with the Aetna Transplant Program for all Aetna's commercial products.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is a designated Blue Distinction Center for bone marrow transplant and CAR-T.
We understand that there may be many complexities involved with insurance coverage purchased through the health exchange network of the Affordable Care Act. We’re here to help. If you have questions about how your care will be covered by an insurance provider, or need help navigating a change in coverage, please call us at 646-227-3378; if you are not a resident of New York, you can call us at 866-248-1274. Our team is here to listen to your concerns and assist you in any way we can. We want our care to be as accessible and affordable for as many people as possible.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with CIGNA's HMO, POS, and PPO plans. CIGNA does not include us in any of the plans you can buy through the insurance exchanges.
- If you are a New York State resident: Please ask your insurance if you need a one-time referral.
- If you live outside of New York State: Please ask your insurance if you have in-network access to Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with EmblemHealth’s PPO, EPO, POS, HMO plans. EmblemHealth includes GHI, HIP, Vytra, and ConnecticCare (in NYS Only). You must bring a referral from your Emblem primary care doctor to your first appointment. In-network participation exceptions include:
- Emblem’s HIP Commercial Millennium, Select Care and Enhanced Care Prime networks is not in-network with Memorial Sloan Kettering.
- Please call Emblem to confirm if your specific plan is in-network.
For information regarding Memorial Sloan Kettering’s participation with Emblem’s Medicare Advantage Plans, please refer to the Medicare & Medicaid page
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield (Wellpoint) of New York Indemnity, HMO, EPO, PPO, POS and Medicare Advantage plans, with the following exceptions:
- Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield does not include us in any of the plans you can buy through the insurance exchanges.
- Please call Empire BCBS to confirm if your specific plan is in-network with Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with HealthFirst’s commercial products; these commercial products are not purchased on the insurance exchanges.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with HealthSmart’s Accel, HSPC, and HPO networks.
For our NJ locations, Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with most Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey plans for individuals, families, and small businesses. Horizon members with Blue Card Access (there would be a suitcase logo on the front of the card) may have access to our NY locations. Please call Horizon to confirm if your plan is in-network in NY.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is a designated Center of Excellence by Humana.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is a designated Center of Excellence by Interlink Health Services.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is a designated Center of Excellence by Lifetrac.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider for all MagnaCare health plans except those products you can buy through the insurance exchanges.
For information about Medicare and Medicaid, please visit this page
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with some Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS plans. Contact your insurance carrier to find out if your plan provides in-network access to Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is a designated Center of Excellence by Multiplan.
If you are covered by more than one insurance plan, you will want to determine your benefits from both plans. First, you need to determine which one is your primary insurance provider by contacting your employee benefits office or your insurance carriers. After you find out which is your primary insurance provider, you should then contact your insurance carrier to determine if you have access to Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with some MVP plans. Contact your insurance carrier to find out if your plan provides in-network access to Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider for New York State employees who have enrolled in UnitedHealthcare's Cancer Resource Services. If you have the Empire Plan, you should call Cancer Resources Services at 866-936-6002 to verify and enroll in this coverage.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is in-network with Oscar’s Circle Plus Network, a part of its Small Group Broad line that is offered only to select small business groups. Oscar does not include Memorial Sloan Kettering as an in-network provider for any of its individual plans. Please confirm eligibility with your insurance carrier.
Most Blue Cross Blue Shield plans include Memorial Sloan Kettering as an in-network provider. Contact your insurance company to confirm if Memorial Sloan Kettering is in-network.
We have agreements with several insurance companies that may provide additional coverage for cancer patients. These benefit programs include:
- AXA Assistance USA
- Beech Street
- Integrated Health Plans
- National Health Administrators
- National Preferred Provider Network
- UnitedHealthcare's Cancer Resource Services
- United Resource Network
- Veterans Choice Program
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with Oxford’s Freedom and Liberty plans as well as the Metro Plan (which is only offered to small business groups and no longer offered as individual plans). Please confirm with your insurance if you need a one-time referral. Note: Oxford’s Medicare Managed Care plan — Secure Horizon — does not include Memorial Sloan Kettering as an in-network provider. Oxford does not include us in any of the plans you can buy through the insurance exchanges.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with the World Trade Center Health Program.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with QualCare's PPO and HMO/POS network.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is a designated Center of Excellence by Specialty Care Management.
Hospital and physician services may be covered by TRICARE. Please call your TRICARE plan to confirm coverage at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is an in-network provider with UnitedHealthCare's HMO, POS, and PPO plans. Please confirm with your insurance if a one-time referral is needed.
UnitedHealthCare's Medicare Managed Care plan does not include Memorial Sloan Kettering as an in-network provider.
United does not include us in any of the plans you can buy through the insurance exchanges.
Memorial Sloan Kettering is a designated Center of Excellence by UnitedHealthcare.
Contact and Location
- 212-639-7649 Office Phone
- Speaks English

Memorial Sloan Kettering has locations throughout New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and Westchester. These locations offer many services, including screening, chemotherapy, and medical testing.
See all locationsAbout Me
Education
MBBS, Maharaja Sayajirao University
Residencies
Surgery - Shri Sayaji General Hospital; Surgical Oncology - Tata Cancer Hospital; Surgery - St. Vincent's Medical Center; Surgery - SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Fellowships
General Surgery - Shri Sayaji General Hospital; Surgical Oncology - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Head and Neck Surgery - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Board Certifications
Surgery
Dr. Shaha specializes in head and neck surgery, with a particular interest in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. He uses an algorithm of selective thyroid tumor criteria (the size, location, stage and type of cancer, along with the patient’s age), to tailor therapy to each individual’s circumstances. This can help thyroid cancer patients avoid unnecessary and potentially damaging over-treatment, while still providing the best option for control of their cancer and better quality of life after treatment. Dr. Shaha works very closely with Memorial Sloan Ketterings’ endocrinologists to monitor the careful post-treatment hormone balancing necessary for thyroid cancer patients. Many academic hospitals and medical societies worldwide have invited Dr. Shaha to speak on the principles of targeted thyroid surgery and to share his expertise in the treatment of head and neck cancers.
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His well-established authority in head and neck oncologic surgery has resulted in honors from the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons. He has been elected to top leadership positions in the American Head and Neck Society, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, the New York Head and Neck Society, the New York Cancer Society, the New York Surgical Society, the Brooklyn Surgical Society, and the American Society for Surgeons of Indian Origin.
Dr. Shaha serves on the boards of the Journal of Surgical Oncology, Head and Neck, the Annals of Surgical Oncology, the Brazilian Journal of Surgery, and the Gulf Journal of Medicine. He has published more than 275 peer-reviewed scientific articles and more than 125 invited articles.
Noted for his commitment and skill in educating physicians, he has chaired several international conferences, and currently serves as the Chairman of the American Head and Neck Society’s Advanced Training Council, the society granting academic approval to head and neck surgical programs and trainees. He relishes his involvement in training the next generation of head and neck surgeons, and is the recipient of outstanding teaching awards from Memorial Sloan Kettering and SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.
Colleagues
Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.
Clinical Trials

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.
You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.
Search clinical trialsResearch and Publications
Books
Proceedings of the Fifth International Head and Neck Oncology Meeting. Johnson J, Shaha AR. Los Angeles: American Head and Neck Society; 2000.
Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Shaha AR. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2003.
Operative Techniques in General Surgery. Shaha AR, van Heerden J, Farley DR, eds. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2004.
Proceedings of the Sixth International Head and Neck Meeting. Shaha AR, Weymueller E. Washington, DC: American Head and Neck Society; 2004.
Selected Book Chapters
“Differentiated thyroid carcinoma.” Shaha AR, Lim D. In: Prognosis and outcomes in surgical disease. McKellar DP, Reiling RB, Eiseman B, eds. St Louis: Quality Medical Publishing; 1999: 18-19.
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“Medullary thyroid cancer.” Shaha AR, Lim D. In: Prognosis and Outcomes in Surgical Disease. McKellar DP, Reiling RB, Eiseman B, eds. St Louis: Quality Medical Publishing; 1999:20-21.
“Anaplastic thyroid cancer.” Shaha AR. In: Endocrine Surgery. Prinz RA and Staren E, eds. Georgetown, TX: Landes Bioscience; 2000: 80-86.
“Prognostic factors and risk groups in well-differentiated thyroid cancer.” Shaha AR. In: Endocrine Surgery of the Head and Neck. Pelliteri PK, McCaffrey TV, eds. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning; 2002.
“Follicular carcinoma of the thyroid.” Shaha AR, Shah JP. In: Surgery of the Thyroid and Parathyroid. Randolph G, ed. Philadelphia; WB Saunders; 2003.
“How to preserve the parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery.” Shaha AR, de Araujo Filho VF. In: Pearls and Pitfalls in Head and Neck Surgery. Cerneo CR, ed. New York, NY: Karger; 2008: 8-9.
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Shaha’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
See all on PubMedDisclosures
Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.
MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.
Ashok R. Shaha discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
No disclosures meeting criteria for time period
If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.
The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.
This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2020 through disclosure submission in spring 2021). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.
Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].