FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

These frequently asked questions, and their answers may give you the information you need without making a phone call. However, if you are at all in doubt about any given topic, don’t hesitate to call us.

Q: What days are you open?
Q: Are you accepting new patients?
Q: Do you accept my health insurance plan?
Q: How do we contact the doctor after hours?
Q: How often should I schedule a checkup?
Q: I need to see a specialist. What do I do?
Q: When will I receive lab or test results?
Q: How do I obtain a prescription refill?
Q: What is the difference between an internist and a family doctor?

• Q: What days are you open?

  A:  Our office is open Monday through Friday. As our daily schedule is subject to change, please call to confirm office hours.

• Q: Are you accepting new patients?

  A: Not at this time. Please contact the office for further information.

• Q: Do you accept my health insurance plan?

  A: Please refer to Insurance to review Advocare's list of accepted insurance providers.

• Q: How do we contact the doctor after hours?

  A: Our providers are available 24 hours a day. Call the office at (609) 953-9000. After regular office hours, the operator will contact our doctor, who will return your call as quickly as possible. Please be aware that after-hours calls are intended for urgent medical issues that cannot wait until the next business day. Referral and appointment requests will not be addressed via pager. Please call back if you have not received a timely response.

  IN THE EVENT OF A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 911.

• Q: How often should I schedule a checkup?

  A: The American Medical Association recommends annual "well" visits. A well visit may be a checkup or a complete exam, and provides an opportunity for you to ask questions and learn more about various health issues. Your health care provider may also order important age-appropriate screenings at this time. Periodic follow-up visits are also recommended for patients who have chronic health conditions.

• Q: I need to see a specialist. What do I do?

  A: For non-urgent referrals: when our doctor or nurse practitioner refers you to a specialist, please schedule your appointment with the specialist and then call our referral coordinator in our office within five business days of your appointment. Your referral will be available in three business days. Most referrals are completed electronically and submitted directly to the specialist's office. Please check with our office staff to determine if your insurance plan processes referrals electronically.

  For urgent referrals: when one of our doctors determines that you need an urgent referral, your referral will be initiated immediately. Please remain in our office while your referral is processed, then proceed to your specialist.

• Q: When will I receive lab or test results?

  A: You will receive a call right away with any lab results that require urgent attention. Other abnormal lab results will be addressed promptly by the provider that ordered the labs or tests. You will also receive a letter or call reporting normal results. If you have not received written or verbal communication of results within two weeks of a lab or test, please contact the office.

• Q: How do I obtain a prescription refill?

  A: Please call your pharmacy to request a prescription refill. Your pharmacy will contact our office. After our doctor reviews and approves the refill request, our office staff will order the refill. If you have been seen in our office within three to six months, allow one business day for all routine prescription refills. If your last office visit was significantly beyond your recommended follow up interval, we will schedule you for a routine follow up visit. The doctor will prescribe enough medication to cover the period until your follow up appointment. For prescriptions that require prior authorization from your insurance company, please plan ahead to allow at least three to five days for refill approval.

• Q: What is the difference between an internist and a family doctor?

  A: Internists see patients from their teen years through old age, and have additional training in managing complex adult diseases, while family physicians are trained to care for the entire family from newborn to old age. We do not deliver babies. We do not treat children. We do not perform surgery. We prevent, find, and treat illness in adults.