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1. What is Urgent Care Medicine?
Urgent Care Medicine is an increasingly growing subspecialty of medicine focused on episodic medical care. Episodic medical care is a form of medical encounter which treats 85% of the public that is generally considered healthy, but suffering from disease, illness, or injury. This is a group of consumers who want competent medical care, provided in a timely fashion, unencumbered by three and four hour wait times not unusually found in Emergency Room settings. The disease, illness, or injury treated in this setting is usually acute, and after treatment, is fully corrected in seven to fifteen days. Because of the focus on only episodic problems, the centers do not provide abstract services, in hospital admission, long term management of chronic disease, or other conditions requiring long term medical management and extended medical records. All acute care problems can be addressed in the acute care centers and directed to other institutions, specialists, or back to their primary care physician, as necessary.
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2. Should I go to the emergency room or to PREMIER?
Most illness and injuries do not require visits to the emergency room. If you feel that your condition is life-threatening, then you should call 911 and/or proceed immediately to your closest hospital. If you present to PREMIER, and we determine that your condition is life-threatening or requires immediate surgery, we will stabilize and treat you and also activate the emergency medical service process to facilitate your transfer to the closest emergency room.
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3. What kind of services do you provide at PREMIER?
We provide a wide range of services, including treatment of acute illnesses and injuries, standard physicals, vaccinations, urine drug testing, and work-related injuries. A much more extensive list of what we do can be found on our Services page.
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4. What can I expect at PREMIER Immediate Medical Care?
Our goal is to provide high-quality medical care in an environment that is welcoming, compassionate, convenient, and affordable. Our medical providers are all licensed and are ER-trained. Our ancillary staff exhibits spectacular customer service and show courtesy and compassion to all who enter our facilities. You will begin to get better, faster.
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5. Why should I use PREMIER Immediate Medical Care?
Simply put, because your time matters. You will receive high-quality medical care in an efficient and caring environment, without having to wait hours in an ER or days waiting for an appointment. Additionally, your copays and fees will be lower than if you presented to an emergency room. Please visit our Benefits page for more reasons why PREMIER is the right choice for you.
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6. How long will I have to wait to be seen?
Wait-times are minimal; usually you are seen within 15 minutes of completing registration. Generally, most patients are in and out the door within an hour.
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7. My baby is sick. Is there a minimum age that can be seen at PREMIER?
At PREMIER, we see ALL ages of patients, starting with newborns. If your baby is sick or has a fever, it’s very important for he/she to be seen and evaluated, especially if they are younger than 2 months old. If you cannot get a hold of or be seen by your family doctor/pediatrician, please take advantage of our extended hours and feel free to come in to one of our centers for a medical evaluation.
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8. Do you have x-ray on site?
Yes, all of our centers have x-ray capability. Coming soon (Spring 2008), our Oaks facility will also have on-site access to CT Scan, MRI, and ultrasound. Our centers are also equipped with a broad range of laboratory testing.
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9. Can I use PREMIER as my primary care provider?
No. While many may present for acute illnesses and injuries, it is important to maintain a relationship with a family doctor/internist/pediatrician for routine exams and chronic conditions. If you do not have a primary care provider, we will be more than happy in assisting you in finding a PCP local to you.
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10. What do I do if I’m not getting better?
You should always follow-up with your primary care provider within 2-3 days of being seen at PREMIER. At your request, we can provide your PCP with an encounter report of your visit with us. If you cannot get in to see your PCP, please give our center a call and ask to speak to a nurse. Depending on the situation, we may be able to give some recommendations over the phone or have you come back in for a recheck.
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11. Do I have to make an appointment to be seen?
No. Part of our goal is to provide you with a very convenient form of medical care. We are open every day from 9am-9pm, including weekends and holidays. When your time permits, you may come in to be seen at your convenience. Our “walk-in” philosophy allows you to get the quality care when you need it.
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12. What are the hours of operation? Are you open on holidays?
We are open 9am-9pm 365 days a year, including all weekends and holidays.
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13. Can I have my work drug screen and/or physical done at PREMIER?
PREMIER is equipped to perform many types of physicals and drug screens that most employers require. However, you should check with your employer before you present to PREMIER for approval of the use of our facility. Many employers have a panel of healthcare providers which you are approved to use for work-related medical care. If your employer has no preference, feel free to come in anytime between 9am-9pm, daily. For a complete listing of our occupational health services, click here.
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14. How can my company be signed up to use PREMIER?
If your employer does not currently list PREMIER as an approved healthcare facility, feel free to have an authorized representative call any of our centers for more information. A short questionnaire is all that is required to get your company starting to use our occupational health services. For a complete listing of our occupational health services, click here.
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15. With whom do I speak to if I have a complaint about my experience?
Spectacular customer service is a priority of our organization. If you are upset about your experience and have a complaint, we absolutely want to hear from you. In fact, your concern is of the utmost importance. You may directly email the Medical Director at dtaranath@premierimc.com, or you may reach him through the Contact page. He will contact you personally to go over your concern and come up with a resolution.
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16. How do I give a complement to recognize a member of your incredible staff?
We love all the complements we receive from satisfied patients! If you would like to recognize a particular staff member for their helpfulness, courtesy, or professionalism, please leave a message in the Contact page and indicate who you feel deserves the merit. Our caring staff is committed to providing quality, compassionate care, and your pleasant comments help to reinforce the smiles on their faces!
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17. What forms of insurance and payment do you accept?
A list of participating insurance companies can be found on the Insurances/Payment page. In addition, we take cash, check, and credit card (VISA/MasterCard).
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18. Will my insurance cover me at PREMIER?
A list of participating insurance companies can be found on the Insurances/Payment page. If you have a high deductible, it’s possible that your insurance company will make you responsible for the bill; however, the fees will be based on your insurance carrier’s fee schedule. If your insurance company is not participating with us, you will be responsible for the bill, but we will give you paperwork which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. We cannot guarantee reimbursement from non-participating insurance companies. Please let us know of your non-participating insurance company, and we can try to get a participating status with them (It would also help if you called them as well!).
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19. Why did you bill me when I thought my insurance company was participating?
This could have occurred for various reasons. It’s possible that you were not eligible to receive particular benefits; it’s also possible that you may have had a high deductible, causing your insurance company to shift responsibility of the bill on to you (until the deductible has been met). In a rare case, it may have been a computer error or oversight on our part. If you have any questions regarding a bill you received, please do not hesitate to call us between the hours of 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri. Our billing specialists will be able to help you understand your bill and/or your EOB (explanation of benefits) letter.
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20. Can I still be seen if my insurance doesn’t participate?
Absolutely! We will be more than happy to treat you for your acute illness or injury. You will be responsible for the bill in accordance with our Payment Policy. We will give you the appropriate paperwork which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. However, we cannot guarantee reimbursement from non-participating insurance companies.
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21. I don’t have insurance. How much do you charge for a visit?
Because of the nature of illness and injury, we are unable to have set rates. Our fee schedule is based on the severity of the illness and whether or not ancillary services (i.e. - x-ray, laboratory testing, procedures, etc.) were involved. We pledge to try our best to provide you the highest quality care in the most cost-effective way possible. Certain services such as physicals and shots have set rates. If you have any questions, please call one of our centers to speak with a representative.
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22. What is your payment policy?
A summary of our payment policy can be found here. But briefly, we require a payment of $100 to be seen. At the end of the visit, if you choose to pay your visit in full, you will be given an additional 25% discount. In most cases, your visit charge may be slightly higher than the $100 payment. In some cases, we will refund the difference to you. If you can only meet the $100 payment, you will be billed for the full amount, with full payment required within 30 days.
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