Loudoun Endocrinology Associates Office Policies
Appointments/Cancellations- Loudoun Endocrinology Associates understands that life is unpredictable and sometimes there will be a need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. We request that you cancel or reschedule any new patient appointments with at least 72 hours notice and follow-up patient appointments with at least 48 hours notice. A no-show fee will be charged for any appointment cancelled less than 24 hours in advance, or cancelled after business hours, on weekends and holidays, for an appointment scheduled the next business day ($100 cancellation fee for a new patient, $50 for follow-up patient). Repeated cancellations/no shows will be grounds for dismissal from the practice
Establishment of care- Clinical care begins once you have attended your first visit at Loudoun Endocrinology Associates. Our office will not refill medications or give medical advice prior to your first visit. We require patients to be seen in person by visit at least once annually to continue your care through the practice.
Physician Selection- We ask that you select and schedule with the Loudoun Endocrinology physician of your choice prior to your first visit. We will ensure that you are seen exclusively by this physician for each appointment to establish a strong patient/ doctor relationship. If your endocrinologist is unavailable due to vacation, illness, or unforeseen circumstance and you require medical care, then your care will be transferred temporarily to another endocrinologist at the practice.
Referrals for New Patient visits- We are a consultative practice. We require that you obtain a referral from your primary care doctor/provider prior to your first visit even if insurance does not require it.
New Patient Medical Records- To ensure good care, we request that a referral and the relevant medical records are sent to us prior to your appointment. Please ask your referring and/or primary care doctor to send the most recent office note, a complete medication list, most recent or relevant labs, any pertinent imaging records and a referral with a reason for your visit.
Code of Conduct- We aim to treat our patients, families, vendors and other visitors with the utmost respect and dignity. We expect the same from our patients and visitors. Disrespectful language to and/or aggressive behavior will result in dismissal from the practice and the premises.
Late/No show policy- We are a very busy practice committed to staying on time. In the event that you arrive more than 15 minutes late to your appointment you may have to be rescheduled. Please call the office ahead of time if you are able.
Billing/Insurance- Loudoun Endocrinology Associates works with many major insurance plans (please contact the office for the most up to date list of insurances accepted). We request that questions about coverage or benefits be directed to your insurance company or checked with your schedule of benefits. Any costs that are not covered by insurance are due at the time of your appointment which includes co-payment and deductible. Your insurance plan may also require you to pay a portion called co-insurance. Out of network or uninsured patients will be requested to pay the self-pay fee at the time of their visit.
Our practice requires a credit card on file. Unpaid balances will be sent to a collection agency.
Portal/Phone messages- We will do our best to return portal messages and phone messages promptly. We aim to return routine, non-urgent messages within 2 business days. We advise that you call 911 if there is a medical emergency. If your routine question is complex and clinical in nature, we request that you contact the office to schedule a virtual or in person visit (based on provider availability).
Prescription Refills- We encourage patients to send prescription refill requests via the Refill Request tab in the patient portal or have your pharmacy contact us directly. The office requires 3 business days to process medication refills. Durable medical equipment (including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors) which require medical records to be sent to a medical supply company can take up to 7 business days. We do not fill routine prescriptions after hours, on weekends or holidays. Prescription refills cannot be made to any patient who has not been seen by visit at Loudoun Endocrinology Associates in over 12 months.
Prior Authorizations- Our office will fill out appropriate prior authorization paperwork with regard to your endocrine diagnosis/care within 7 business days. We encourage patients to obtain prior authorization forms and forward them via the patient portal to help expedite this process. Please be aware that paperwork involving insurance company approval may take longer than 7 business days depending on their response. We do not complete prior authorizations for branded thyroid hormone medication.
On site Labs- Lab orders will be placed at the preferred lab based on patients’ insurance coverage and carried out on-site following an in-person visit. Patients requesting labs or radiology orders between visits based on clinical symptoms will be requested to schedule an appointment.
Off-site labs/radiology orders- We request that patients complete labs and radiology orders at least 3-5 business days prior to a follow up virtual visit to ensure results can be reviewed and discussed with your endocrinologist. Lab orders from our office should be printed prior to going to an offsite lab and are can be located in the patient portal using the full desktop version. Click the My Health tab and then click the Health Reminders section to view and print the active orders.
After hours Calls- In the event of a serious emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. The After-Hours line is solely for established patients at Loudoun Endocrinology Associates. There is a $25 fee for any calls answered on the After-Hours line.
Forms- There is a $20 fee for any form that needs to be completed by your physician(examples include but are not limited to FMLA, DMV, Disability, Employee health forms, etc.)
Transfer of Medical Records- We require a medical record release form to be completed and signed by the patient prior to the release or transfer of medical records. Please allow 7 business days to process and send the requested medical records
Virtual Visit policy- Patients must be physically located in the state of Virginia during their virtual visit to proceed with telemedicine services.