For appointments send us a text at 972-315-8588

Patient Rights and Responsibilities as a patient at Lakepointe DPC

 

Patient Rights

1. You have the right to considerate, respectful care.

2. You have the right to have us explain diseases, treatment, and results in an easy-to-understand way.

3. You have the right to expect that all communications and records about your health care will be treated as confidential, respectful of legal requirements.

4. You have the right to refuse treatment, as permitted by law, and to be informed of the medical consequences of that action.

5. You have the right to voice any concern or complaints that arise, without fear, regarding your health care with your provider or a staff member.

6. You have the right to receive nondiscriminatory care regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender orientation, national origin, disability, or age.

7. You have the right to involve yourself or your family in any aspect of your care.

 

Patient Responsibilities

1. Give your provider, clinic staff, and fellow patients respect and consideration. This includes no shouting, threats, cursing, or violence of any kind.

2. Provide complete, accurate, honest information about your health so that the staff can give you the best health care possible.

3. Keep your scheduled appointments or reschedule those appointments in advance.

4. Follow through with your care plan, including follow-up appointments, labs, and completing medications. Be sure you leave every visit with a clear understanding of expectations and treatment goals.

5. Let us know if you are unable to take your medicine or follow through with your care plan.

6. Discuss your concerns with the provider or a staff member should problems arise.

7. Treat the staff and clients/patients in the Clinic without discrimination regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender orientation, national origin or age.

8. Be active in your health care decisions. This includes involving your family and/or other trusted adults in any aspect of care that you feel would benefit your care.

9. Understand that your lifestyle choices affect your personal health.

10. Give us feedback so we can improve our services.

 

Financial Policy 

Payment in full is required at the time of service. Refusal to pay for services rendered or to make a financial arrangement will result in an account being sent to an outside collection agency. This may have a negative effect on an individual’s credit status. Practice fees are subject to change at any time. 

We accept:

• Cash

• Check

• Debit or Credit Card

• Commercial Insurance

• Medicare

 

Minors

Written consent from a legal parent or guardian is required if they do not accompany the minor. The adult accompanying the minor is responsible for full payment at the time of service.

 

Appointments

We will send a SMS/Email in advance to confirm your appointment. This is only a courtesy, as the responsibility remains with the patient to manage his/her appointments. If you need to cancel an appointment, please give at least 24 hours notice. If you do not cancel your appointment 24 hours in advance, you will be charged a fee of $25.00 for routine office visit/Phone Visit and $50.00 for a comprehensive visit (e.g. Physical Examination).

 

Forms Filled by Doctor

Work or insurance related forms (such as FMLA) may be filled by the doctor for a fee paid by the patient in advance. $75 for the initial request and $10 for corrections, after the first correction. Please allow sufficient time for this request.  

 

Transfer of Records 

If you request the transfer of records to another doctor, there will be no charge. If you request the transfer of records to someone other than another doctor, there will be a $25.00 fee for the first 20 pages and 0.50c for each additional page. Payment must accompany the request. Please allow time for this request. 

 

No-Show Policy

New Patient No-Shows:

In order to schedule again, please leave a credit card number on file with the front desk. If patient does not show for the 2nd scheduled new patient appointment, they will be charged $25.00 for the appointment.

 

Existing Patient No-Shows:

After missing one appointment you will be called to reschedule your appointment. If a 2nd appointment is missed, you will be charged a $25.00 no show fee. If a 3rd appointment is missed, patient may be dismissed from the practice.

 

Email and Cell Phone/Texting Policy

Always be aware that email is not a confidential means of communication. We cannot guarantee that email messages will be received or responded to in a timely and confidential manner. As such, email is not an appropriate way to communicate confidential or urgent information. For reasons of privacy/confidentiality, this office does not conduct treatment through email or texting. It is our policy to meet with the patient and discuss issues of concern or at least to have a scheduled virtual encounter in accordance with standards approved by the CMS if the patient is unable to come to the office. Patients may use email to schedule, cancel or change appointments. All email messages sent to per request should be followed-up with a telephone call to the office or a voicemail message communicating email per request sent. Lakepointe DPC will not communicate by text due to the privacy/confidentiality concerns stated above; and email is certainly NOT a means of contacting the Provider.

 

Telephone Policy

Answering your calls in person whenever possible is very important to us. However, there are times when heavy call volume may prevent us from speaking with you directly. Please leave a clear, short message with your name, phone number and a brief reason for your call on our answering machine. Office staff will contact you as soon as possible regarding your call. If there is an emergency outside of office hours, please call 911 immediately.

If you get a recording, please:

Do not call more than once per day for the same issue.

Keep your message as brief as possible (name, number and reason for call). For example, Mary Kay, 992-1212, I need to reschedule my appointment.

Allow up to 24 hours for a return call, especially if you call late in the day.

Medical issues will not be addressed over the phone. Please make an appointment to be seen by the provider ASAP.

  Office Staff will be polite and respectful. They deserve the same in return.

 

Maintaining Patient Status

In healthcare, it is very important that you be seen on a regular basis. At the end of each appointment, you will be told when to schedule a follow-up appointment. We urge you to make the follow-up appointment before you leave our office in order to schedule the most convenient time for you. If you fail to keep and/or maintain follow-up appointments for a period of 120 days or greater, we will conclude that you have terminated the patient-provider relationship.

 

Controlled Substances

Controlled Substances (i.e. benzodiazepines, narcotics, and stimulants.) have potential for misuse and addiction; therefore, they are controlled by local, state and federal government regulations. Controlled substances shall not be the first line therapy for any illness or condition. Where necessary, appropriate exceptions and referrals will be made on a case-by-case basis and depending on the illness presentation. Accordingly, we require the patient to agree to non-use of illicit/recreational/experimental drugs. The patient further understands that using illicit/recreational/experimental drugs will impact progress and counter act with prescribed medications; This office reserves the right to drug test the patient where there is reasonable suspicion of mind-altering/psychoactive agents. This testing is not mandatory and you may refuse to have this test done, but the provider may request it at any time for any patient and your cooperation is required. We participate in TPMP, the Texas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (Electronic-Texas Online Reporting of Controlled Substances). This is a database tool we use to improve patient care by safe prescribing, in addition to reducing drug abuse and diversion.

Patients with controlled substance medication, will be requested to sign a Controlled Substance Contract as well as other set of policies in addition to this one.