Understanding Our Policies

 

Appointment Scheduling

 

vacation or illness and the capacity of patients seen must be reduced.  Remember we want to provide quality health care without rushing patients in and out.

 

Emergencies

Emergency problems require patients to be seen on short notice. The provider will decide with the nurse and receptionist about the best way to handle the emergency so that prolonged waiting delays for others in the waiting room can be avoided.

 

Family Health Care works with East Georgia Regional Hospital to take care of emergencies that occur after normal operating hours. Problems such as a suspected heart attack need to go directly to the emergency room or call 911. A physician will be available at all times (including nights, weekends, and holidays) for emergencies. This service is strictly for emergencies or urgent needs, and not for routine or minor problems which can be handled during office hours. If an emergency occurs after hours, please have paper, pencil, and pharmacy phone number available. If your call involves a medication, please know the name of the medication.

 

The day of your appointment

Please bring all your current medications with you every time you visit the office.  Include over the counter medications, supplements and vitamins that you take.  This will help your provider avoid prescribing medications that could harm you or interact with other pills you take.

 

Additionally, we ask that you please update your contact information at every visit.  All patients should have several “non-blocked” phone numbers listed as well as an emergency friend or relative listed.  Our staff must have a way to contact you with important lab results and appointment information.  Please bring current insurance information with you at every visit so your charges can be properly processed and billing.

 

Prescription refills

 

To assure we provide quality health care, chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and other disorders must be reassessed at least every three to six months.  This policy is for the patient’s safety.  Information about medications and treatment is constantly being updated, new treatments are being discovered, medications can have side effects that need to be monitored and diseases advance or improve to the point that dosages of medications need to be adjusted.  If your condition is stable when you visit the office you will be issued a prescription with enough refills to last you till it is time for your next appointment. Your provider will try to

schedule your follow up appointment the day you are seen in the office.  If you do not have a scheduled follow up then please call our office when your prescription bottle states “No Refills”.

 

Sample Medication

Pharmaceutical companies provide us with a limited amount of samples. These medications are designed to be given to patients when they first start a new medication to make sure they tolerate the medication and it produces the desired effect.  We also will distribute some samples for brief time periods to patients in financial need to hold them over until financial help can be arranged.  We cannot fill patient’s prescriptions with sample medications every month, as we are not given that much medication.  Patients that know their financial needs are ongoing should contact Med Connections at 764-8196 for assistance as soon as possible.

 

Payment

In an effort at cost containment, it is the policy of FHCC to receive payment at the time services are provided. Please come prepared to pay your co-payment at the time of the visit.  We accept VISA and Master Card for your convenience. Family Health Care Center participates in many area insurance programs, including Medicare and Amerigroup. We are a Blue Cross Preferred Provider and United Health Care provider for both GSU and State Health employees. Please call (912)489-4090 for an updated list of participating insurance programs.

Family Health Care Center reserves a number of same day appointments for urgent health care problems. Acute illnesses with high fevers and/or vomiting will be scheduled the same day in all high-risk patient groups (young children, older seniors or patients with conditions like cancer or diabetes).  Injuries at home or at work needing immediate care will also be seen on the same day.  We ask that those patients with routine appointments (physicals, pap smears, well baby checks and medication refills) try to call several weeks in advance for an appointment.  We want your wait to be as short as possible when you visit our office, if we overbook our appointments this will not happen.  There are times when our staffing is low due to