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, 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! There are no trip fees for ancillary services. The charge for these tests and procedures, if any, are the same as you or your insurance would pay at a brick-and-mortar practice.
We send phlebotomists to draw your blood in your home or place of business, whichever you prefer. They transport the specimen to our local reference lab, which runs the tests your doctor ordered. The results are reported directly into your medical record, promptly and electronically. There is no trip fee for this service.
We also arrange for all x-ray studies to be done right in your home or place of business, no trip fee required. Imaging studies that require huge equipment, like CTs or MRIs, must be done at a nearby imaging center or hospital outpatient department.
We can get test and procedure results almost immediately, if required.
Do you accept new Medicare patients?
Yes! We are taking new Medicare patients. We accept “traditional” Medicare and all Medicare Advantage Plans, as well as Medicaid and Tricare.
Not only do we accept Medicare, we also “takeassignment” which means Medicare beneficiaries do not pay at the time of service, and don’t have to file any paperwork: We bill Medicare directly and accept their payment, which is 80% of the “allowable” charge. The 80% rate is the same whether the visit takes place in an office setting, home or business.
The remaining 20% of the allowable charge is “patient responsibility.” Most of our patients have “supplemental” insurance (also called “secondary” or “Medigap”coverage) which pays some or all of the 20%. We bill all secondary insurance plans directly. Please see the insurance section of this website for additional details.
Do You Handle Emergencies?
For true medical emergencies, call 911. We provide urgent care services but if we believe you have a life-threatening medical emergency, we will refer you to the emergency department of your local hospital, or the hospital of your choice.
If, when you call us for a visit, we cannot determine over the phone whether your problem is a true medical emergency or not, we may arrange for an urgent visit by one of our physicians. They will evaluate the problem and make the decision. Often, our highest and best contribution is helping patients avoid unnecessary trips to the ER. However, if the problem is a true emergency we make sure they get there promptly.
Will Private / Commercial Insurance Reimburse Your Charges?
Yes. Please click here to link to the insurance section of our website for details.
When our physician visits you at home, there is an additional trip fee that is not covered by your insurance, because the insurer considers it a charge for convenience and, therefore, not medically necessary. Our trip fee is really just another type of copay, comparable to the higher copay you incur when you go to an urgent care center or emergency room, or visit certain specialists. There is, of course, no trip fee when you see our physicians in one of our traditional office settings. We have patient care offices conveniently located in Raleigh and Durham.
Can I See The Doctor Before I Leave Home In The Morning?
Yes. We can schedule appointments as early as 8:00 a.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 a patient’s responsibility, such as co-pays, we ask for payment by credit or debit card, both for your convenience and the safety of our physicians. We do not permit our physicians to carry payment in the form of cash or checks with them.
Our office personnel process any applicable charges; we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover . Our physicians are not authorized to receive or process payments. We are happy to take the information needed to process your credit card at the time of registration, or when you call for an appointment. For convenience we can store that information in our ultra-secure database, or you can process payment through our secure website transaction system.
