A little preparation will help us to serve you better. Please bring to each appointment your health insurance identification card and a form of picture identification, such as a drivers license. A list of your current medication, allergies, and names and addresses of previous doctors you may have seen. Transferred records from your previous doctor are most helpful.
If you are an existing patient, or if this is your first visit to our office, please arrive to the office about 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow time to update your personal information or to complete the New Patient History Form.
If you are taking medications, either prescription or non-prescription, bring your pill bottles to our office. If you are taking a lot of medications, it is important to bring a list of those medications with you to every visit, so we can make sure your chart is up to date and accurate. Let this nurse know at the time of your visit if you need any prescriptions refilled. If your drug plan sent you a list of allowable drugs (a "formulary"), please bring it to your visit.
Waiting Times
The medical provider makes every effort to see you on time. This is usually within 15 minutes of your appointment time.
Occasionally your provider may be delayed. If so, it is because the health condition of other patients has required more time than your provider anticipated.
Providers will afford each patient the time that is needed to attend to the health problems at hand. You will be provided the same service.
Please be patient if the provider is delayed. If the provider is occupied with a serious health emergency, you will be given the options to wait for the provider, to see an alternate provider, or to reschedule the visit.
Please be sure to check-in at the reception desk as soon as you arrive. Please keep us updated with any changes in address, phone number and insurance. Please provide us with an emergency contact person and phone number.
If you have not been called from the waiting area within 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment, please return to the reception desk.
Prescription Information
We ask that you allow 48 hours for the physician to review your medical record and provide the prescription. Please include pharmacy name and telephone number with your request. Also notify staff of any allergies.
If you want a prescription refilled, simply call our main office number which will then take you to an Automated Phone System where you can indicate what medications you need refilled. Our automated voicemail system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be asked to provide certain information, just follow the prompts. All questions need to be answered in order for your refill to be processed.
We understand that you don't always realize you need a prescription refill until you have run out of the medication. If that occurs, you can call the office and speak to the receptionist and one of our physicians should be able to refill your prescription the same day. To avoid this situation, however, keep track of your medications and call the office from refills when you see a few days left to the medication.
Some medications cannot be called into the pharmacy; the prescriptions for certain medications will need to be picked up in the office. These controlled substances (narcotics, sedatives, stimulants and the like) require special handling. Refills are limited, and in some cases are not permitted by law.
All prescriptions for controlled substances must be picked up in person at our office by the person for whom they are prescribed, or by their designated health care proxy.
Community Care physicians are not permitted to provide prescriptions for controlled substances by telephone when they are on-call.
Referrals
Your primary care provider may recommend that you be evaluated and treated by subspecialty physicians if your medical condition warrants. Many HMO/Managed Care Plans require patients to obtain a referral from their primary care doctor. We have a referral office that is focused on handling this issue.
Community Care Physicians includes a number of excellend sub-specialty physicians, all of which share electronic health records and imaging studies allowing your records to be immediately accessed by the providers administering you care. We are happy to refer you to any of these Community Care specialists when needed or to any appropriate sub-specialist whom you prefer.
Our office will provide notifications to, or request authorization from your health insurer if these are required.
We will provide the consultant with your relevant medical history so that the consultant is informed.
We try our best to approve most referral requests, but if you do get a call from our office with questions about the referral, please understand it is simply to make sure you receive the proper care.
Please allow 5 days to process non-urgent referrals.
Co-payments and Account Balances
Payment is expected at the time of service. If your insurance requires that you pay a co-payment, they require us to collect it. For your convenience we accept cash, checks, and most major credit cards.
If your co-pay is not paid at the time of service, there will be a $20.00 service charge added to your account.
Confidentiality
Privacy & HIPAA
Your personal health information is strictly confidential and will not be divulged to ANYONE without your written permission except to other physicians involved in your care, to your insurer for billing and quality assurance, or by court order.
When you arrive for your appointment, you will be provided with a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices. You will be asked to sign an acknowledgment that you received it for our records.
It is prudent to designate a trusted person to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated and unable to decide for yourself. This individual is called a "Health Care Proxy."
If you have particular instructions with regard to the type of treatment you wish (or do not wish) under certain circumstances, you should inform your Health Care Proxy and you may state your wishes on the form.
Forms for the designation of a Health Care Proxy are produced by New York State, and may be obtained from our office.
