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Middle River Family Practice Office Policies

Phone Calls

Every phone call is important to us and we will attempt to answer your calls and return your phone messages as promptly as possible. We appreciate your patience should you have to wait on hold. Our phone lines are busiest in the early morning hours, especially on Monday mornings. If you do not need to contact the office immediately, we recommend calling the office at a later time during the day.

Phone messages will be returned on the same business day as soon as the physician is available. Please leave a phone number where you know we will be able to reach you.

If you call for an urgent matter, we will make every effort to respond immediately. All messages are reviewed by the physician; however, your call may be returned by a medical assistant or staff member.

Please be aware that our providers will not leave their scheduled patients to return routine phone calls; these are generally answered after patient care sessions are finished.

Appointments

  • Appointments can be made by calling the office 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. - noon on Saturday.
  • When scheduling an appointment, please advise the receptionist of the exact reason for the visit and if you have seen the doctor previously.
  • If you are seeing the doctor for a pre-operation physical exam, please have your paperwork (indicating tests needed) with you from the requesting physician.
  • Physical exams are booked 1–2 weeks in advance.
  • If you need to cancel your appointment, please call to advise us at least 24 hours in advance.
  • Please arrive 10–15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so that we can review, update or complete your demographic information. Please notify us immediately of any changes in your name, address, phone number or insurance.
  • Bring your current insurance card with you for each appointment. If your insurance coverage is through a family member, please have that person’s information as well. If we do not have your current information, you will be responsible for payment. New patients will also be asked for a photo ID (driver’s license).
  • Familiarize yourself with your insurance guidelines regarding copays, deductibles, payment of annual physicals, referrals to specialists and ER visits.
  • Copays are expected at time of service.
  • Please bring your medicine bottle(s) or a complete list of your medications with you to each appointment.
  • Please be on time for your appointments. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your scheduled appointment, you may be asked to reschedule your appointment or given the option to wait until scheduled patients have been seen.
  • If calling for an urgent or same-day appointment, you may not be able to see your regular provider. We will let you know the name of the provider you will be seeing when you make your appointment.

Prescription Refills

  • When calling for a routine prescription refill, please allow 24 hours for your prescription to be authorized. Routine prescriptions are those that have been prescribed to you and are taken every day.
  • If you need a medicine urgently, we will make every effort to respond to you that same business day.
  • If you are interested in a new medication, please schedule an appointment to speak with your doctor.
    Please remind your doctor of any medication allergies.

Referrals

  • When your provider suggests a specialist evaluation or diagnostic testing that requires a referral, we will make every effort to provide this for you as soon as possible. Some referrals require insurance pre-authorization and cannot be processed immediately. Insurance guidelines prohibit us from backdating referrals. We require three business days for the processing of routine referrals.
  • When requesting a referral, please include the following information: the name of the doctor or test requested, the date of the appointment or test for which you need the referral (if already scheduled), your insurance information, and if you prefer to have mailed to you or you will pick-up.

Laboratory

If your doctor requests laboratory tests, you will be referred to a lab which partipates with your health insurance plan. Since we do not draw routine bloodwork, our staff will help you locate a participating lab site that is convenient for you. We will draw blood for laboratory studies your doctor believes are urgent.

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