Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Primary Care Physician (PCP)?
A Primary Care Physician(PCP) is the doctor that you generally see first for acute problems or for management of chronic illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Primary Care Physicians usually provide the first line of evaluation, and will generally provide routine follow-up of most chronic health conditions. Primary Care Physicians are generally Family Practitioners, Internists, and Pediatricians, although OB/GYN physicians may also be classified as primary providers of health care for women.
What Makes a Family Physician Unique?
Family Practice is the specialty of breadth. It is, by far, the most comprehensive specialty, encompassing the entire spectrum of health issues for people of every age. Family Physicians are highly trained in preventative medicine, diagnosis and treatment of acute medical problems, and care of chronic illnesses. Unlike all other specialties, Family Physicians do not limit their practices to a specific problem, organ system, gender, or age group. Family doctors see patients in all age groups, from newborn to geriatric. Many also perform routine obstetrics (prenatal care and deliveries). Statistics show that Family Physicians may manage upward of 90% of all problems that patients present with. Because illness and wellness are highly influenced by our relationships with others, Family Medicine physicians are specially trained to care for patients within the family context, and are skilled at coordinating care with other providers of health care such as specialists, therapists, counselors, and other ancillary providers. Family Physicians are a sensible option for families wishing to have all of their health care needs coordinated through a single office and provider.
Are Your Doctors Board Certified?
All medical providers employed by ResponsiCareSM clinic are board certified. Board certified Family Physicians must pass a rigorous examination every 6 years to maintain their certification status. Board certified physicians routinely participate in periodic continuing medical education to keep their skills up-to-date.
What Types of Conditions Do Family Doctors Treat?
Family doctors see a wide variety of acute and chronic problems, both routine and complex, and do not limit their practices based on any specific type of illness. If you have a new or ongoing health issue, chances are your Family Physician will be able to provide the comprehensive care you need.
Is There a Long Wait to Get Established as a Patient?
That depends on a number of factors. If you have an urgent medical problem that needs immediate attention, we will usually be able to see you very soon. If there is no urgent problem or you are coming in for a routine physical, the wait may be longer. Usually our physicals book out 1 to 4 months in advance, but may be moved up if specific circumstances dictate otherwise. Our reception staff will best be able to tell you how far our appointments are booking out.
Do You Have Same Day Appointments?
Yes. In most cases patients can be seen the same day for an urgent or emergent problem. On very rare occasions we may recommend the emergency room if our caseload that day will not allow us to provide service to you in a reasonable amount of time.
What if I Need to See a Specialist?
Good primary care physicians know their limitations as well as their strengths. We will not hesitate to refer you to a specialist if your condition warrants it. We have relationships with all specialties, both locally and nationally. Our referral relationships are based on a number of factors including clinical competency, communication, and quality of service. We have relationships with several tertiary and teaching facilities such as UAB, Emory, Vanderbilt, and The Mayo Clinic, among others.
When Should I Contact the Doctor After Hours?
You should contact your medical provider after normal office hours for any urgent or emergent issues that, in the opinion of most reasonable adults, would warrant immediate attention. ResponsiCareSM providers and staff will make every effort to help solve your urgent problem. However, we cannot always determine what constitutes a true emergency over the phone. If you perceive that there is an urgent problem, please do not hesitate to go to the nearest emergency room. If there is a life-threatening emergency, please dial 911 immediately.
What Types of Insurance Do You Accept?
ResponsiCareSM accepts most major commercial insurances and Medicare. We also accept Medicaid on a periodic basis only based on our current panel size.
What if I Don’t Have Insurance?
ResponsiCareSM accepts Visa, Master Card, American Express, local checks and cash for services provided. All visits are subject to a minimum charge payable at the time of the visit, with any additional charges billed to the patient or guardian thereafter. If you have difficulty paying the remainder of your balance in a timely fashion, our billing staff may work out a payment arrangement with you.
Will My Insurance Cover All of My Services?
Your insurance may or may not cover all of your services. Your insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurer, and ResponsiCareSM is not a party to that agreement. Services recommended by our providers are usually covered within the parameters of your insurance policy. However, some policies do not cover certain services such as routine physicals, cosmetic procedures, and treatment of obesity or weight loss medications. Also, policy deductibles and co-pays are different for each policy and will affect your financial responsibility differently. We will attempt to work with your insurer to get your claims processed. However, bear in mind that, just because your insurer does not cover a certain service does not make the service “unnecessary.” We make recommendations based solely on clinical judgment, and in the best interest of your health. We do not make medical decisions based on your coverage benefits. If you have any questions about whether or not a certain service is covered, please contact your health insurer prior to your visit to help avoid any unexpected charges.
Why Am I Getting a Separate Bill from Quest® Laboratory or Other Provider?
ResponsiCareSM may have contracts with several providers of ancillary services, including laboratory services. Services provided by these entities will routinely be billed by them separately, and you may have an additional statement for such services even if they were performed in our clinic.
What Age Do You Start Seeing Children?
We see children from newborns to adolescents. We do not place any age restrictions on our pediatric patients, as Family Physicians are trained to treat patients of all ages.
Do You Deliver Babies?
While Dr. Anderson is trained in obstetrics, he has chosen to not include obstetrics in his current practice as there are several well-qualified Obstetricians locally to provide these services. However, Dr. Anderson does provide newborn care after your baby is born.
Do You Provide Immunizations (Shots) for Babies?
Yes. We provide routine immunizations for infants and toddlers based on current CDC(Centers for Disease Control) and American Academy of Family Physicians recommendations. We also participate in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.
Do You Perform Pap Smears and Pelvic Exams?
Yes. We perform well-woman exams and pap smears as part of routine health care for our female patients. We also arrange routine mammograms to coincide with your comprehensive, age-specific health maintenance needs.
Do You Provide Birth Control Services?
Yes. ResponsiCareSM is dedicated to responsible family planning and provides comprehensive counseling as well as many routine birth control options, including birth control pills and Depo-Provera. We do prescribe “the morning after pill,” (Plan B®) but do not prescribe the abortion pill (RU486) or provide pregnancy termination services (abortions). We do not perform IUD insertion, fitting for diaphragms, or permanent sterilization (tubal ligation or vasectomy). We do have referral relationships with other providers that perform these procedures if desired.
Do You Treat Erectile Dysfunction (ED)?
Yes. We routinely evaluate and treat patients with erectile dysfunction, and may utilize drugs such as Viagra® to assist our patients with ED issues. We may also co-manage patients with Urology consultation, if necessary, to provide the appropriate treatment.
Do You Provide Smoking Cessation Services?
Yes. We believe that quitting smoking will greatly improve our patients’ health. Smoking-related illness is a tremendous health care problem, and ResponsiCareSM is dedicated to helping people “kick the habit.” We offer several options including in-office counseling, medications, and other resources.
Do You Treat Obesity?
Absolutely. Obesity is an American health care crisis and leads to a number of other problems including diabetes. We have several resources including medications to help our patients achieve their weight loss goals without the need for expensive and risky surgery. Several patients have lost significant amounts of weight in our clinic by adopting our no-nonsense, practical, and healthy approach to weight problems, and are now enjoying the health benefits of being active, disciplined, and physically fit.
Do You Treat Chronic Pain?
ResponsiCareSM Clinic is not a pain clinic. However, we do provide medication management, trigger point injections, and some joint injections for patients experiencing chronic pain. Patients on chronic narcotic pain medications are usually monitored very closely by the physician to ensure that pain control needs are being addressed on an ongoing basis. Patients on such medications may be subject to random drug testing to ensure compliance with the prescribed treatment regimen, and may be required to sign a contract with our clinic establishing that we are the only clinic providing such medications. Patients with complex pain management issues are usually referred to a multidisciplinary pain treatment center for more comprehensive care.
Do You Perform Laboratory Studies at Your Office?
Yes. We have a CLIA-waived in-office laboratory that performs basic testing such as urinalysis, strep tests, pregnancy tests, etc. We send more complex tests to our reference lab, Quest®. Our laboratory staff members have been trained and certified in phlebotomy (blood-drawing) procedures.
Do You See Workman’s Compensation Cases?
Yes. We see workman’s compensation patients on an ongoing basis, and are familiar with treatment of work-related injuries such as sprains, strains, back pain, lacerations, and other injuries.
Do You See Patients in the Hospital?
Like many other clinics, ResponsiCareSM Clinic is following a recent national trend to partner with hospitalists (hospital-based physicians who focus exclusively on inpatient medicine) to help increase the overall quality of care our patients receive. Studies show that these specialized physicians are generally able to manage your hospital care with greater efficiency than your primary care physician, and hospitalists have a track record for providing excellent service to our patients. If you are admitted to the hospital, you may be admitted by and cared for by a hospitalist who will regularly communicate with your personal physician about your ongoing condition and progress, and will arrange appropriate follow-up at our clinic after discharge.
Do You Perform House Calls?
Currently we are not providing home care services. However, we are exploring the possibility of providing these services in the future as demand for medical care and treatment in the home setting increases.
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