OFFICE POLICIES
Hours
Our regular office hours are Mondays 9:30 to 12 and 1 to 4, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 AM to Noon and 1PM to 5 PM Thursday. We may have periodic schedule changes. If you call during business or after hours an answering machine will take your call. You can schedule appointments on this website by going to the appointment section.Read the different appointment options carefully before scheduling.If you have any questions please feel free to leave a message. For emergencies, please call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency or acute care facility.
Initial Visit
I SEE PATIENTS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Our first appointment is usually 60 minutes. Follow up treatments vary according to the specific situation. Acupuncture treatments range from 30 to 50 minutes. Manual medicine and energy medicine sessions are usually 40 minutes. Other follow-ups may range from 15 to 60 minutes. All patients need to fill out an initial registration and intake form. If possible, have them completed before your initial visit.
On behalf of our environmentally-sensitive patients, we ask you not to use perfumes, hairspray, or other strong fragrances. For a better evaluation, avoid drinking coffee, caffeinated teas, excess sugar, candies, or gum that may influence the color of your tongue or pulse rate. Avoid brushing your tongue if possible.
Cancellations
This is a specialty practice. We see a small number of patients each day. I never double book and our appointments are longer than most other doctors’ offices. I believe that quality health comes with quality time spent together. FOR THESE REASONS, WE WILL REGRETTABLY CHARGE YOU FOR ANY MISSED APPOINTMENT NOT CANCELLED AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THIS POLICY HELPS KEEP OUR QUALITY OF CARE AT ITS BEST. You will receive a text and/or email when you schedule an appointment..
Payments
In order to keep costs down for you and for us, we require payments at the time of the visit. We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, debit cards, and local checks. For Telemedicine appointments we also accept PAYPAL. Your insurance may reimburse you for all or part of the medical visit. You may need to contact your insurance company to get accurate information on this. You will receive a receipt for each visit. You can then submit this with a copy of your insurance card attached to this receipt to your insurance company. Insurance needs to reimburse you within 30 days. Please be aware that your medical insurance is an agreement between you and your insurance company only. That means that we consider you ultimately responsible for all medical costs in this office. Payment of missed appointments is due upon receipt and before your next appointment. We are able to make a limited number of special arrangements for temporary financial hardships. You may discuss this issue with the staff prior to your appointment. For new patient appointments we require a credit card number which will be used to secure the appointment. Any no show or cancellation within 48 hrs will be charged on the credit card being held.
Medicare Patients
I have chosen to be de-certified from Medicare. Medicare does not support my type of practice or reimburse me for my time. All Medicare patients that are seen in this practice are required to sign an agreement acknowledging that I am not certified with Medicare, that all visits are paid at the time of service, and that Medicare will not reimburse me or the patient for any visits. In some circumstances, your secondary insurance may pay for some of the visit if Medicare gives you a letter of refusal. You may need to contact your secondary insurance to get this information.
Phone Calls
As I am usually with patients, I will try to return calls as soon as I have a chance. You may leave a message and I will try to contact you the same day during business hours if possible.
Botanicals and Other Supplements
We provide patients with high quality botanicals, vitamins, and minerals at the best cost. Many of these botanicals may be found at other places in town or through the Internet. You are not required to buy our products and are encouraged to do your own research if you have questions regarding quality or cost. Please remember that products purchased elsewhere may vary in quality. We have some botanicals and other supplements for acute conditions in our office and will write a prescription to Fullscript where you can purchase the items I recommend online. I will also have a number or different vitamins, minerals, probiotics, etc on this site which you will be able to purchase at a discounted price.
Privacy Practices
There are a number of federal regulations (known as HIPAA) regarding distribution of medical information. Except for certain information regarding insurance reimbursement, we require written consent to release information. Ask the staff about regulations if you have any questions. BE AWARE THAT BECAUSE OF THE PHYSICAL NATURE OF THE OFFICE, AUDITORY PRIVACY IS NOT GUARANTEED.
Thank you very much for your understanding of our office policies. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns.