FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You've got questions and we've got answers. For some of the most frequently asked questions about our clinic and care options please see below. Don't worry. If you don't find the answer you are looking for here, please go to the Contact Page
to find out how to reach us and we will be glad to get you the answers you need.
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What should I expect at the initial appointment?
Your initial visit with us will not be your traditional doctor's appointment. During this visit the doctor will get to know you, your individual history and your current symptoms. We will answer any questions you may have and give you an order for various lab tests depending on your individual case. The length of this appointment will be at least an hour and a half.
Do you take insurance?
We do not accept any type of insurance and payment is expected at the time of service. We will provide you with a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company to request reimbursement. Please check with your insurance provider as to your personal coverage and possible reimbursement. We do not bill Medicare and are not Medicare Providers.
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What is your cancellation policy?
Due to the length of our appointment times and the demand for appointments, we have a 24 business hours cancellation policy for follow up appointments and a 48 business hours cancellation policy for new patient appointments.
We charge the full appointment time should you cancel/reschedule an appointment with less than 24 business hours (follow up appointments), or 48 business hours (new patient appointments). Our office is closed on Fridays, which means Monday appointments must be cancelled by THURSDAY to avoid a late cancellation charge.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
Please bring all relevant testing that specifically relates to the reason for your visit. In addition, have the previous two years of testing sent to our office prior to your initial appointment. If this is not possible, bring these records with you. Also bring your Insurance Card; although we do not take insurance for office fees, some of the labs may be billed to your PPO insurance.
Can I submit for reimbursement to my insurance company?
YES! After each appointment you will be provided with a Superbill upon request. You may submit this Superbill to your insurance company to request reimbursement for the office fees and proceedures. The Superbill will contain CPT (procedure code) and the ICD9 codes (Diagnosis Codes) which is information commonly asked by your insurance company when you submit a request for reimbursement. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE ANY REIMBURSEMENT FROM YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY as each individual company and policy is unique. Please check with your insurance company for what can or will be reimbursed prior to scheduling an appointment. ** Tip: Some insurance companies will require you to use a specific lab for testing, and/or may only reimburse in-office appointments so please inquire as to the terms of your policy and inform our office of any limitations.
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Are labs covered by insurance?
Lab testing is often covered by PPO insurance plans when ordered as routine testing through standard labs such as Labcorp, Quest and Bioreference. Obviously, there is variation between insurance plans which affects the extent of lab coverage including deductibles and coverage for testing ordered by "out-of-network" provides so you should check with your insurance company directly for details. Should it be determined that further testing is needed at a speciality lab such as IGeneX, the fees must be paid in advance with a credit card and may not be reimburseable by your insurance provider. Please check with your insurance company prior to any tests being ordered if you are concerned about coverage.
Will my insurance company reimburse for your costs?
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee your insurance company will reimburse for any of our costs. Plans such as Medicaid, HMO/Kaiser, Medi-cal, and Medicare, currently do not reimburse for our services. Please check with your insurance company for what can or will be reimbursed prior to scheduling an appointment. ** Tip: Some insurance companies will require you to use a specific lab for testing, and/or may only reimburse in-office appointments so please inquire as to the terms of your policy and inform our office of any limitations.
Can I email my doctor directly?
Although we understand the convenience of email, it is not a sustainable or effective form of communication between doctor and patient at our practice. We ask patients to refrain from sending detailed messages regarding their care to our staff. A good rule of thumb: if our administrative staff can't answer the question without the doctor's input, then email is not appropriate and an appointment should be made to discuss it with the doctor. Medical questions requiring a doctor's attention should be discussed at an appointment and our staff should be contacted to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors in a timely manner consistent with your current issue.