Patient Service
Referrals
Please tell us if another physician or provider has referred you. We will be prompt in sending your doctor or provider our findings. With unusual or complicated problems, we may give you better care by requesting the opinion of another physician. At such times, we will suggest a consultation with another specialist. The consultant will charge his or her usual fee. If you desire another opinion, feel free to make this request. We will be happy to suggest several appropriate physicians and provide them with details of your concern.
Telephone Calls
Answering questions about your health concerns is an important part of our job. We believe a telephone call can never replace an office visit. However, appointments and reporting of some of your laboratory results can be handled over the phone by one of our staff. Unless there is an emergency, the immediate accessibility of your provider may be limited. Therefore, we have a dedicated nurse (triage nurse) to handle your medical questions.
Our telephone number is: 425-899-4455, and our telephone hours are: 8am - 5pm, Monday - Friday. For questions regarding your account, please call 425-605-2426.
Occasionally, telephone calls are routed to our answering service if we are in an all-staff meeting and unable to answer the phone. When you hear the automated answering system, you may either dial the extension number of the person you are trying to reach, or follow these prompts:
#2 for the scheduling desk
#3 for the receptionist
#4 for prescription refills
#5 for our address, fax, and directories
For your convenience, here are three ways in which you can minimize your telephone wait times:
- Allow us to call you with abnormal, critical, or "stat" results. Otherwise, you will receive your results by mail within 1 - 2 weeks.
- Do not call with non-urgent questions. Save them for your office appointment.
- Call your pharmacy to request refills of your usual medicines. The pharmacy will then contact us.
Prescriptions
In general, medicines are not prescribed over the phone without prior office evaluation of the medical condition. Please call your pharmacy for refills. They will contact our office and when appropriate, we will authorize the refill and your pharmacist will have it ready for pickup usually within 48 hours.
Laboratory Services
We do not own nor operate the laboratory located outside of our office. All laboratory billing is done by their office and any questions you may have regarding your lab bills should be directed to them. We carefully monitor lab fees and quality in order to assure that our patients are being billed fairly and that the quality meets our expectations.
Fees and Insurance
Charges for office calls and surgery are determined by the complexity of the problems. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to discuss our fees. We will bill most insurance directly; we will provide you with a statement of your charges at the time of your visit. This statement can be attached to your insurance form and mailed directly to your insurance company.
The service provided by the physician or practitioner is a contractual agreement between you and the provider. Insurance plans cover varying percentages of your medical and surgical costs and you may be responsible for any amount not covered by your plan.
The following is a list of the insurance programs with whom we are currently contracted:
Your First Appointment
Prior to your first office visit, we will mail you information about our office as well as a registration form and history form. We ask that you have both of these forms filled out when you arrive for your appointment. Please bring your insurance card or coupon to your first visit and anytime your insurance information changes. We ask you to arrive 15 minutes early to allow for registration.