Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Will It Take Me To Get An Appointment?
We offer same-day or next-day service, seven days a week, for acute or urgent medical problems. For routine or preventive services, such as an annual physical, we can generally schedule an appointment within several days.
Can I See The Doctor On The Weekend?
Yes. Our physicians see patients on Saturday and Sunday.
Can I See The Same Physician Every Time?
Yes. We schedule the same physician for each visit, unless the physician is out of town and you need to be seen on an urgent basis. In that case we will arrange for you to be seen by another one of the outstanding physicians in our large group, who will have the benefit of your complete medical record at his or her fingertips.
What It I Need Lab Tests or X-rays?
Our physicians will order lab tests, x-rays, EKGs, and whatever "ancillary" services or procedures that may be required to fully evaluate any medical problem -- and you almost never have to leave your home for these to be done!
We send phlebotomists to draw your blood and transport the specimen to our local reference lab, where we can run any test we require. The results are sent promptly and electronically to our practice, directly into your medical record. And there is no extra charge for that service.
We arrange for all x-ray studies to be done right in your home and there is no extra charge for that service. Imaging studies requiring huge equipment, like CT or MRI, must be done at a nearby imagine center or at a hospital outpatient department.
We can get immediate ("STAT") test and procedure results if required.
Do you accept new Medicare patients?
Yes! We accept new Medicare patients. accept Medicare insurance and take assignment. Medicare patients do not have to pay us at the time of service because we bill Medicare directly and accept whatever they pay, which is 80% of the allowable charge. This is the same for all physicians who accept Medicare assignment, whether the visit takes place in an office or your home. We also bill all secondary (Medigap) insurance plans. Please see the insurance section of this website for additional details.
Do You Handle Emergencies?
As is the case with any outpatient physician practice, we are not an emergency medical service. For medical emergencies, patients must call 911.
If, when you call us for a visit, we cannot tell over the phone whether or not your problem is a true medical emergency, we may arrange for an urgent visit by one of our physicians, who will evaluate the problem and make a decision about disposition. Often our highest and best contribution is helping patients avoid unnecessary trips to the ER, but sometimes it's making sure they get there promptly if the problem is a true emergency.
Will Private / Commercial Insurance Reimburse Your Charges?
For the most part, yes. We are currently "in network" with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, Cigna and Tricare insurance companies, and will soon be in-network with several others, so be sure to check with our office for the latest information.
If we are "in network," we accept your insurer's fee schedule for our "professional services," meaning the services provided by our physicians. Those fees are equivalent to what they pay physicians for the same services provided in the typical office setting, including our offices in Raleigh and Cary.
When our physician visits you at home, there is an additional "trip charge" that is not covered by your insurance because the insurer considers it a charge for "convenience" and therefore not medically necessary. Our trip charge is really just another type of "co-pay," comparable to the higher co-pay you incur when you go to an urgent care center or the emergency room, or you're seen by a specialist. There is, of course, no such charge when you see our physicians in on of our traditional office settings. We have patient care offices conveniently located in Raleigh and Cary.
Can I See The Doctor Before I Leave Home In The Morning?
Yes. We can schedule appointments as early as 8:00a.m. One of our goals is to accommodate the lifestyle and time constraints of busy people.
How Do I Pay For Your Service?
It depends on your insurance. Please see above and the "Insurance" page of our website for more details. For the portion of our fees that are "patient responsibility," such as co-pays, we accept payment by credit card for the convenience of our patients and the safety of our physicians. We do not permit our physicians to carry money or checks around with them.
Our office personnel process any applicable charge, not our physicians. We accept MasterCard, VISA, and AMEX. We take the information needed to process your credit card when you call for an appointment. Alternatively, you can provide that information on our registration form. We can fax you that form, or you can download it from this website.
