Frequently Asked Questions

For whom do you provide care?

Everyone.

My family and I have been to our doctor many times and we have yet to see him.  Who will actually be providing the care in your office?

I will.  Every patient, every visit.  

How do I become a patient?

All patients should first fill out a registration form, which you can download from this site, or register online.  I also plan to provide a form that will ask for important information - past medical history, current diagnoses and treatment, family history, etc.  You should then schedule an appointment for a "new patient visit".  At that time I will go over your past information and we will decide whether a return visit for health screening, ongoing treatment, or further evaluation is advisable.  

Understand that it is very difficult to decide before ever seeing a patient how much time should be allotted for an initial office visit.  Some patients will need no further care at that time, while others will need another visit with more time scheduled to understand what treatment they are receiving and what needs to be done next.  But an initial office visit at least entitles you to receive care whenever the need arises.

Insurance questions

What if I am on a managed care plan?

Your insurer has a list of approved "providers" from which you previously have chosen a "primary care physician (PCP)"; his name should be on your insurance card.  You must submit a "change of PCP" form and designate me as your new PCP.  This usually must be done by the middle of the month for the change to be effective as of the next month.  

Fortunately, these lists are now frequently available at your insurer's website and updated often, so I should appear on them shortly after I am credentialed.  I will also update the status of each insurer on the insurance section of this site. 

How about my medical records?

You can have your medical records sent to us before your first visit.  All that your current physician should require is a signed request/consent from you ("Please transfer my medical records to...") and our name and address.  

Although I have been told that it is legal in most states to charge a fee (commensurate with the actual cost of copying) to "release" your records, most physicians consider such a charge an act of ill will (at best) and  unprofessional (at worst).  Furthermore, a physician may incur some liability if his failure to make your records available compromises your care.  Holding your records hostage until you pay  your bill is not allowed, by the way, since your medical record is really considered to be yours.... 

What if I get sick before my initial office visit?

Often an initial visit is for an acute illness; it's only then that many people choose a physician.  But this raises several problems:

• If you are on a managed care plan and have not yet gotten around to designating me as your new PCP, your insurance plan will not pay for your visit.

• If your problem occurs after routine office hours ("I've been meaning to come in, but...), it is somewhat of an imposition to ask me to see you for the first time after hours.

• If your problem is simple and might only require telephone advice or refilling a previous prescription, I incur prohibitive liability by doing this for a patient for whom I have never provided previous care.  ("So, doctor, you want ahead and did what for a patient whom you had never even met?")

• If you have several ongoing problems about which I know nothing, nor have your old records, it is difficult to provide the best care.

What happens after regular office hours?

I "take call" for myself and provide a way to reach me after hours.  Most people have problems for which they need some advice or reassurance, some need a prescription phoned in, a few need to be seen urgently, and occasionally someone needs to be told to hang up and dial 911.  Generally, I arrange to see patients in the office after hours if they need to be seen urgently but do not seem to have a life threatening emergency.  

By the way, I do not provide after hours coverage for other physicians who choose not to provide the same service to their patients.  In other words, don't call me and say, "I tried to call my doctor, but I can't get hold of him, so..."

What if I get sick after hours and I haven't seen you yet, but you've  seen my whole family?

Well, you've got me there.  It still isn't the best situation, but it is family practice, so I'll consider you an established patient....

What kind of problems do you see at the office after hours?

Bladder infections, migraines, lacerations (yes, I do stitches), abdominal pain, asthma, and ear pain, to name a few.