Referral Policy

Referrals to specialists are not given without first having an office visit with your primary care provider. This policy is mandated by your insurance carrier and is also within the scope of good medical practice. It is the intention of our office to provide the best medical care, but care cannot be provided if we are unable to evaluate the concern in person. Please be aware that it may take seven business days to process your referral. Some tests that require pre-certification may take longer, depending on the approval process required by your insurance carrier. Referrals will not be mailed or faxed. They must be picked up from the office by the patient or their designee. Because of the unpredictability of the approval process for certain specialty care, we recommend you do not schedule your appointment until after you have received your referral. If you have an appointment scheduled with a provider and your referral is not ready, it is your responsibility to change your appointment. Many referrals are now done electronically, however no referrals will be post dated. In the event of an emergency as determined by your health care provider, we will attempt to expedite the process. To request a referral, please log in to our secure area and complete the appropriate form.

Prescription Policy

Medication refills should be arranged with your healthcare provider during an office visit. When this is not available, medications may be requested though our secure area’s online prescription renewal form. Certain medications are not renewed without an office visit. These include pain medications, anxiety medication, sleep medication, as well as others classified by the DEA as potentially used for abuse or those that may be habit forming. Some insurance companies require certain non-preferred medications to be pre-authorized. This is a lengthy process that often results in denial of the medication, and delays your treatment. In lieu of pre-authorizing medication, we ask that you contact your insurance company and ask if they have any therapeutic alternates listed for the medication you have been prescribed. If they do not, ask for your formulary. This is a list of medications that are covered by your insurance without preauthorization, and give it to our staff. We will be happy to change the original medication to something you will be able to use without waiting for approval.