PRACTICE POLICY

Office Hours

Monday to Friday: 

Telemedicine / online consultations

9 am-5pm PM (PST)

Mondays and Wednesday: 

In-person appointments (per request after booking your appointment) 19712 MacArthur Blvd.

Irvine, CA, 92618  Phone service from 9 am to 5 pm PST

Lunch Break 12-1pm PST

Scheduling Appointments

• Time listed for appointments in our calendar is Pacific Standard Time, please adjust to your time zone.
• New patients
• New patients may request a booking for their appointments via our website: https://rheumatologistoncall.com/ at any time (available 24/7) Or Call our office number at 650-525-4404 between our hours of operation.
• You DO NOT require a referral from your Primary care physician or another specialist to book an appointment. You may be a self-referred patient.
• Before you make your first appointment, we strongly encourage you to read this webpage and understand How Our Practice Works.
• Prior to your first appointment, make sure you sign all the documents sent to you, set up your Patient Portal, and upload any medical records available for the physician to review.
• For telemedicine appointments, you will receive a Zoom link in your email/ text three days before, one day before, and one hour before your visit.

Return/ members of our practice

• You can use our website, call our office, or you may schedule your follow-up appointment in our Patient Portal Elation.
• Please complete the “Return visit” forms and update us regarding new medical diagnoses and any changes in your treatment.

NO SHOW Policy

All NEW and RETURN patients will be charged for missed appointments.

• The fee for NEW patient NO SHOWS is $100.00.
• The fee for RETURN patient NO SHOW is $100.00.

Payment for missed appointment charges is due at the time of your visit and will be charged to the credit card on file.

Cancellation Policy

• We request that you provide us with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice if you are unable to attend a scheduled appointment. If we do not receive 48 hours’ notice, you will be charged a missed appointment fee of 100$.
• Reminders: We want to help you keep your appointments. Appointment reminder emails/ texts will be provided three days, one day, and one hour before your appointment. Even though we make every attempt to reach patients, it is the patient’s responsibility to record the date and time of their appointments.

Late Show Policy

Please arrive on time for your appointment. We do not accept any delays of more than 15 minutes. If you are late for your appointment, you should email or call our office at least one hour in advance.

If you are late for your appointment, the time allocated to it will not be extended, as we have patients scheduled and cannot delay other patients’ visits. If you prefer to have the full time of the appointment, consider rescheduling.

Multiple missed visits are grounds for dismissal from the clinic.  

Financial Responsibility

• We are OUT OF NETWORK. We do not contract with any commercial insurance. We have opted out of Medicare. However, you may still use your insurance for services such as laboratory, imaging services, or medications using the services of our practice.
• In exchange for Services, you agree to pay Practice the fee for service or the monthly membership, which is then in effect at the time you receive care.
• You are responsible for having a valid credit card on file that could be charged at the time of the service. All the fees for our services are listed and updated on our website.
• Insufficient funds or chargebacks may result in a charge on your account, and overdue accounts may be subject to interest.
• You agree to keep your account current and pay fees and charges when they are due.

Non-Participation in Insurance. You acknowledge that neither Practice, nor its providers participate in any public or private health insurance or HMO plans. Neither Practice nor its providers make any representations regarding third party insurance reimbursement of fees paid under this Agreement, and such reimbursement is not anticipated by this Agreement. If you have a health benefit plan or insurance, upon your request, we will provide you with documentation so you may submit for your own reimbursement. You are responsible for payment in full at the time Services are rendered.

Non-Participation in Medicaid. You specifically acknowledge that Practice and its providers do not participate in any Medicaid program. Under Kentucky state law, non-participating healthcare providers cannot provide medical services to Medicaid recipients. This means that Medicaid cannot be billed for any Services performed under this Agreement. Further, you agree not to bill Medicaid or attempt Medicaid reimbursement for any such services. By signing this Agreement, you specifically acknowledge and agree that you are not currently a Medicaid recipient and if you become a Medicaid recipient in the future, you will promptly notify Practice and transfer your care to another provider.

Non-Participation in Medicare. You specifically acknowledge that Practice and its physicians do not participate in the Medicare program. This means that Medicare cannot be billed for any Services performed under this Agreement. Further, you agree not to bill Medicare or attempt Medicare reimbursement for any such services. By signing this Agreement, you specifically acknowledge and agree that you are not currently a Medicare beneficiary and if you become a Medicare beneficiary in the future, you will promptly notify Practice and transfer your care to another provider. You will be required to sign a Private Contract with Medicare Beneficiary before your first visit.

Disclaimer of Non-Insurance. Our practice is not offering insurance coverage, it is not a health insurance plan, PPO or HMO plan, prepaid health plan, or substitute for healthcare coverage (collectively, “Insurance”).

Imaging and Laboratory services

Labs Orders are placed at the time of your visit, not between visits, unless agreed upon by the physician. We do not order labs without consulting our physicians.

Options:

• QUEST Diagnostics: We have a national account with QUEST Diagnostics, and orders are sent electronically to Quest. You may use your insurance to pay for laboratory services, or you may ask us for the CASH price at very discounted rates (especially if you have a High-Deductible Insurance Plan or no insurance).
• For new patients, we do offer a one-time chance to benefit from very discounted pricing.
• For members: unlimited access to preferential pricing for labs
• We share the laboratory services’ price before your visit to the lab.
• Check out the closest Quest location for you: https://prereg.questdiagnostics.com/as-home
• Laboratories of your choice: After you place the lab order, it will be sent to you via the Patient Portal (Elation), and you may use it at your preferred laboratory location. You can also let us know, and we are happy to fax it to the preferred laboratory location.

Lab results 

• Lab results are generally discussed at follow-up appointments. Nonurgent lab discussions about complex rheumatologic lab results occur with the physician at your scheduled appointment.
• For members of our practice, they will receive the lab results and relevant comments and recommendations via Patient Portal in 24 hours after we receive them.
• For urgent lab results, you will be contacted via text, email or phone by our office. If you see an URGENT message from us, contact us immediately to confirm that you rceieved the message.

Imaging Studies

• Imaging studies are discussed and ordered at the time of your appointment, not in between appointments.
• Once we receive the results, we report your imaging results through the Patient Portal, unless there is an emergency, and we will call you. We can share your results by fax, with another healthcare provider, or for your personal records.
• The results of any other tests or imaging ordered by another physician will need to be relayed and explained by the ordering physician. If you need explanations, we can review them with you only during the appointment.

Prescriptions

• All medications are sent electronically through the electronic health record to the preferred pharmacy indicated on your New Patient Forms. If you require the use of a mail order pharmacy, be sure to remind the provider of this preference so it will also be added to your chart. We make every effort to provide 90-day supplies to adherent patients for optimal convenience and compliance. Be sure all of your requested refills are sent before you leave your appointment to reduce any medication delay between visits.
• Requests for medication refills are processed during regular business hours, not in the evening, on weekends, or on holidays. Please be aware that refilling your prescription may take up to 3 business days. Accelerated or after-hours refill requests may incur an additional administrative fee.
• Controlled Substances. It is not our policy to prescribe controlled substances on your behalf, including commonly abused opioid medications, benzodiazepines, and other stimulants. If we do prescribe this class of pharmaceuticals for you, you will be asked to sign and honor our Controlled Substances Agreement.

Medical Records/ Letters and Additional Forms

• If you require copies of your medical records, we must receive your request in writing before releasing them. Your medical records may be shared with any physician you indicate on the appropriate paperwork at your clinic visit, with any physician that has referred you to us, or with any physician we refer you to.
• We can share your medical records with you via the patient portal or fax. If you have extensive medical records, more than 100 pages, you will be charged a $50 fee.
• Forms and physician letters will be billed according to complexity. For new patients and patients under a fee-for-service plan, the fees range between $50 and $100, billed per time required to prepare. No fees will be charged for the members of our practice.

Urgent and Emergent Instructions

• Urgent Care Instructions. Practice operates during regular business hours and is unavailable for care requiring immediate or urgent attention. We kindly ask that you limit after-hours, weekend, and holiday communication to urgent situations that cannot wait until the next business day. If you are experiencing an urgent healthcare need that cannot wait up to 48 hours for a response, or the next regular business day, including holidays, whichever is later, you should immediately call or present at your local urgent care center.

• Emergency Care Instructions. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, you should immediately call 911 or visit your nearest emergency department. If you should ever need it, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline telephone number is (800) 273-8255.

SMS Terms and Conditions

By providing your mobile phone number, you consent to receive SMS messages from Rheumatologist OnCall. These messages may include appointment reminders, date changes, forms to sign, or other important information related to your care and services provided by our clinic.

Message Frequency
Message frequency may vary depending on your care plan and communication preferences.
You may receive multiple messages per month depending on your appointment schedule and service updates.

Message and Data Rates
Standard message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile carrier plan.

Opting Out
You can opt out of receiving SMS messages from Rheumatologist OnCall at any time by replying “STOP” to any of our messages. After you send “STOP,” you will receive a confirmation message and will no longer receive SMS communications from us.

Help and Support
If you need help or have questions regarding our SMS service, reply with “HELP” to any SMS message, or contact our support team at [email protected]

Privacy Policy
Your mobile number and SMS consent will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We do not share mobile information with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties.

A change to this Private Practice Policy can be made at any time, and we will share that with you 30 days in advance via the email we have on file and via the Patient Portal.

It will be your responsibility to review it carefully and entirely. This form will also be listed on our website https://rheumatologistoncall.com/

Special Notice for California Residents: Medical doctors are licensed and regulated by the Medical Board of California, available by telephone at (800) 633-2322 or online at www.mbc.ca.gov.

If you are browsing or partially using our website, please read the Web and Mobile Privacy Policy carefully and entirely. If you are using our telemedicine services, please read the Telehealth Consent carefully and entirely. If you have additional questions, you can email us at [email protected].

Additional information about how we work can be found here and on our website.