We realize there is much to learn about our unique practice, so below are some highlights;

Ideal Micropractice Model:

We have minimal staff. In order to provide longer appointments and high quality holistic care we have minimal staff (to keep our expenses low).  This means that you have to be active in your healthcare and in your decisions.  As a courtesy, our office will bill your insurance. Most patients are referred out to other facilities for hospital coverage, vaccinations and laboratory services.

Online communication:

We frequently communicate using email for appointment notifications (changes, cancellations, office closures, etc). Things about you which should be kept private, such as health history forms, lab work, supplement refills, or patient-provider communication will occur through our secure Patient Portal.  It is therefore very impractical for a patient with little to no access to the Internet to stay abreast.

Integrative Holistic Family Medicine:

We use the diagnostic abilities that we learned in our conventional medicine training and the treatments that we learned in our Integrative, Holistic, Functional and Natural Medicine training in order to provide an integrated model for healing. Thus, antibiotics and narcotic prescription are not common practice.  To promote a healthy environment, please refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes, or smoking prior to visiting the office.

Sustainability:

We take insurance because we believe that all persons are entitled to healthcare. However, in order to take insurance, offer longer appointments, offer email access directly to providers and emergency access, we need to charge an Annual Fee for Non-covered Services to our Insurance Program patients (voluntary for Medicare and Medicaid patients) and sell supplements. This fee is prorated based on the calendar year and is sliding scale for those in financial need. Let us know if you would like to sponsor a patient who is not able to pay their annual fee.

Fees:

• Insurance Program Fee for Non-covered Services ($20/month per patient or $40/month per family)
• No-Show Fee ($25 for 30 min visit, $50 for 45 min visit and $100 for a New Patient visit)
• Non-sufficient Funds Fee/Bounced Check Fee ($30)
• Membership Program ($75-150/month per patient)

The Non-covered Benefits Fee is voluntary for Medicare and Medicaid patients.  We also offer a sliding scale Annual Fee for those in financial need. Cash pay Membership Program fees (for those with high deductible insurance plans, no insurance, who want to cut out the ‘middle man’ or who want medical record privacy) are available as well. Take comfort in knowing that your family has 24/7 phone and email access to your provider!

Payments:

Payments, Co-pays, Supplement purchases and Monthly Fees are due at the time of service. We accept cash, personal check, credit card and debit card for your convenience.

Respect Policy:

Mutual respect, honesty, integrity, understanding, patience and compassion are at the core of the patient-physician relationship and should guide all processes therein.

“Open Access”- Same Day appointment scheduling:

There will be two daily appointments reserved for patients with acute symptoms that need to be seen right away. These appointments are generally the last two appointments at the end of the day and are made available on the online scheduling program within 24 hours prior to the appointment. If all acute visits are filled, and you still need an appointment, the practice should be notified immediately.

Co-pay Policy:

In order to facilitate patient visits, all patients are required to present their co-pay payment to HHFM directly at the time of service.

Co-insurance Policy:

If you do not have a co-pay, you probably have co-insurance. This means that you pay a certain percentage amount after the claim is filed based upon an agreed contracted amount.  If you have questions regarding the amounts owed on your EOB (Explanation of Benefits) from your insurance company, please send us an email.  Otherwise, HHFM is due the amount indicated under “Patient’s Responsibility”. This decreases the amount of time that the practice needs to spend on billing and allows us to focus on patient care.

Form Completion Policy:

All paper forms, (school physicals, FMLA, etc) should be submitted for completion at the time of service. Most forms need an appointment in order to be filled out.

Supplement Sales:

The sale of supplements contributes to the sustainability of the practice. HHFM provides supplements that we recommend as a convenience to our patients. The supplements are typically less than normal retail prices (since we are not required by the Department of Revenue to charge sales tax) and are paid for by cash, check, credit or debit card at your visit or by arranged pick-up over email. Price comparison with local supplement suppliers is encouraged.  We have supplement price lists available for comparison at your request. Please let us know if you have any requests of products that you would like us to carry.

Antibiotics:

We generally do not prescribe antibiotic medications over the telephone. With improved access to acute patient visits, an appropriate history and physical examination is usually recommended prior to antibiotic prescriptions.

Narcotics and controlled substances:

HHFM providers do not prescribe narcotics except in extremely rare circumstances. In these circumstances, patients requiring narcotics and/or controlled substance medications for longer than a one month period for acute medical issues will be required to sign a contract stating they will receive their controlled substance prescriptions only from HHFM and from a single pharmacy agreed upon by the patient and the provider. Any patient that becomes a registered patient while already using controlled substances will be asked to submit a urine sample for a chemical dependency drug screening. If results of the screening are positive, this will not result in punitive action, but will guide us in arranging appropriate medical management of substance abuse problems. Controlled substances for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and similar conditions are generally prescribed only after appropriate psychological and/or psychiatric evaluation.

Pharmaceutical Samples:

We do not provide pharmaceutical samples or entertain pharmaceutical representatives during office hours or allow advertisements for pharmaceutical companies in the office setting. We may periodically attend educational lectures that are sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry if there is an educational component to the event.

Emergency cell phone access:

The on-call provider can be reached through the office phone number by registered patients only in the event of an urgent issue or an emergency. All non-urgent issues should be addressed via email and office phone message.

Outsourcing of Clinical Services:

Clinical services such as laboratory blood draws, X- Rays, imaging studies, etc., are referred to local radiology and laboratories.

Rapid Strep Testing:

Hirsch Holistic Family Medicine does currently offer rapid strep testing for acute pharyngitis (sore throat). However, the current guidelines recommend that antibiotic treatment for strep throat is provided following evidence based clinical prediction rules and throat culture.

Routine and Acute Gynecological Care:

HHFM offers acute (new and urgent) gynecological care and routine gynecological screening exams except from Dr. Hirsch. Please schedule appropriately.

Perfumes/Colognes and other scents:

Due to the amount of allergies and sensitivities of patients (and Dr. Hirsch) to different environmental products, HHFM requires all patients to  refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, or smoking before entering/while in our office.

Vaccinations:

Hirsch Holistic Family Medicine does not provide childhood or adult vaccinations. Patients in need of vaccinations will be referred to vaccinating Pharmacies or other Health Department clinics for routine vaccinations.  We respect the patient and parent’s right to choose whether they wish to be vaccinated or not, however, we do request that parents who choose not to vaccinate their children sign a waiver form that recognizes the risks of not vaccinating children. This reflects the liability concerns of the current medical establishment and not my personal views on vaccinations.

Inpatient Hospital Coverage:

In the event of a patient’s admission to Providence St. Peter Hospital (both for children and adults), Hospital physicians will be assuming care. In the event of a patient’s admission to or Capital Medical Center, Hospitalists will assume care. We will provide coordination of care with the Hospitalists and specialists. HHFM providers do not round at local Skilled Nursing Facilities (Nursing Homes).

Insurance companies:

As a service, HHFM is willing to file insurance claims. However, if we encounter an insurance company that is difficult to deal with, we will encourage the patient to call the insurance company to help rectify the situation.  If the situation cannot be rectified, HHFM will terminate our practice’s relationship with the insurance company.  HHFM will continue to work with the patients who have that insurance if other arrangements are made.  If you change insurance companies and do not notify HHFM and there is a lapse in coverage, the patient is responsible for the charge for the visit in question. This is also seen as a violation of trust and is ground for discharge from the practice.