Patient FAQs
                                                                                                                                                                                               

Patient FAQs

Do I need a referral to see your doctors?

The need for a referral depends upon your insurance company. Most HMO’s require a referral.

Please check with your insurance carrier if you need any authorization before visiting our office.

What shall I bring to my first visit?

Please bring a photo ID, your insurance card, and any insurance authorizations. Also, results of any recent medical testing.

We will need your complete medical history, including your current medications.

For your convenience you can find our registration forms and medical history form on this website.

What will happen at the time of my office visit?

The courteous staff at the front desk will review all your personal information to ensure everything is correct. After that, one of our skilled medical assistants will take you to an examination room and review your medical history and prepare you for the physician’s consultation.

Your physician will review your history, tests, discuss your current problem, and perform an examination. When the physician has completed the consultation, you will be escorted to one of our helpful discharge staff who will assist in the coordination of your follow-up care.

When do I pay my copay?

Your co-payment is required at the time of your visit.

We accept cash, check, Visa, and MasterCard .

I forgot something the doctor told me. What should I do?

Our phones are available Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

Nights and weekend calls are answered by our answering service

Prescription Refills:

Prescriptions are refilled only during office hours. That way we will have your medical record available to make certain that a refill is the best course of treatment.

Please have your pharmacist's telephone number available. Routine prescriptions cannot be refilled during evenings, weekends, or holidays because the physician on duty will not have immediate access to your records.

We follow this routine in order to handle your request for prescription refills as quickly and efficiently as possible

Fees, Payment Policy and Credit:

Like you, we are acutely aware of the crisis in healthcare costs. Therefore, we make every effort to keep our fees fair and reasonable, and we review them frequently to make sure they remain appropriate.

We have standardized fees for various procedures, and these are listed in the office, and are available to you at all times.

In an effort to keep these costs reasonable, our policy is to receive payment at the time of your visit.

Confidentiality:

All your medical records are confidential.

We will release the records or any part of them only if you give us written authorization.

No matter what the circumstances, we will not release your records unless we have notification that you wish us to do so.

Medical records are legally the property of our office. However we are happy to make photocopies of your records at no charge and send them to another physician of your choice.

Please provide us with at least 48 hours advance notice of when you would like to pick up your records. Medical records needed by insurance carriers or attorneys should be requested in writing by the carrier or attorney.

There will be a charge for this information, and we will make every effort to respond promptly to these requests.

Making Appointments:

Routine visits are by appointment only. After office hours, or on days when the office is closed, you can reach the physician on-call for emergencies by phoning 619-266-3332. To make appointments, please call 619-266-3332. Routine medical problems or questions should be addressed during the regular office hours. If you call us for an emergency after hours, the answering service will refer your call promptly to the physician on-duty, who will then return your call as quickly as possible. Of course, there will be times when that physician will be caring for other patients, so we ask you for your understanding at those times.

Office hours by appointment provide the most convenient and best service for you. If you find that you cannot keep your appointment, kindly notify us as soon as possible. This courtesy allows us to provide care for another patient.