Frequently Asked Questions
Please review the frequently asked questions below. If you don’t find the answer to your question, feel free to contact our new patient coordinator via email, or set up a FREE discovery consultation.
Scheduling & Visits
What Are The Restrictions On Virtual Doctor's Visits?
Your intial visit at Takoma-SE Integrative Care must be in person or virtual. After the first visit, all follow up visits can be conducted by phone or virtually using our secure video channel if you choose.
Email Etiquette
Patients have unlimited email contact with their Takoma SE Integrative Care provider team. However, if an email question or request is deemed by one of our staff to be too complicated or involved for a response via email they may, at their discretion, require that the patient schedule a phone, telemedicine or in person follow up visit instead of responding via email.
Scheduling & Cancellations
There is a 48-hour cancellation policy for all appointments with an Takoma-SE Integrative Care doctor, health coach, or team member. Canceling within 48-hours will result in an $80 charge to the credit card on file.
No-shows: If you do not show up to a phone, video/telemedicine or in person appointment without notifying the specific person you have an appointment with either via email or by changing the appointment using the online scheduling tool on the patient portal, you will be charged the fee for the visit to the card on file.
Billing & Insurance
We Are Not A Conventional Primary Care Physician
It is important to note the following:
1. We do not fulfill an insurance company’s requirement for an in-network primary care physician as we are not in-network with any insurance plan.
2. We are not available for same-day emergency appointments.
3. We do not have a 24-hour answering service and do not take calls on weekends. If you need to be seen urgently or have a medical emergency you would need to visit an ER or urgent care center.
We Only Bill Medicare For Payment But Will File A Claim With Other Insurance Companies for Your Reimbursement
The cost of any services provided by Takoma SE Integrative Care are payable at the time of service.
Non-Takoma SE Integrative Care medical expenses such as lab tests and prescription medications may be covered by a member’s health insurance plan per that plan’s rules.
At this time we except payment in full from Medicare and will submit that claim. As a courtesy,Takoma SE Integrative Caree will submit a medical claim to other insurances on your behalf for your reimbursement. We cannot assist you with claim resolution for our services.
If you prefer, we will provide you with a detailed billing summary that you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement. There may be procedures or lab tests that are not covered depending on your plan’s rules.
About Lab Tests
- Most lab tests ordered by a Takoma-SE Integrative Care physician will be billed directly to your insurance by the lab.
- Some lab tests we offer as part of our integrative medicine testing program may not be covered by insurance and in these cases you will be charged a fee for a particular test by the lab or through TTakoma-SE Integrative Care
- The specific tests ordered will be personalized to you based on your initial evaluation with an Takoma-SE Integrative Care doctor and may include blood saliva urine or stool testing.
- We will make every effort to make you fully aware of any additional lab fees that may be incurred and to give you the opportunity to choose which lab tests you feel comfortable paying for.
- You are under no obligation to purchase any specialty testing.
- Should any lab results indicate you may need further testing you will be directed to continue your care with your primary care physician or a relevant specialist, or should you choose you may continue to work with your Takoma-SE Integrative Care physician.
- At home test kits: If a lab test kit is mailed to you by Takoma-SE Integrative Care , you will be charged the day the kit is mailed.
- If your particular insurance company only pays for blood work done at a particular lab facility like LabCorp, you must inform us of this in advance of having blood work done. Most insurance plans cover labs done by major national labs, including Spectracell, which is a lab often used by Takoma-SE Integrative Care.