FAQ
Does my insurance cover preventive services?
Many insurance plans cover preventive services such as annual physicals, vaccinations, and health screenings at no additional cost. We recommend checking with your insurance provider to confirm coverage for specific services.
I need my Annual physical. What all will be covered and which services are not covered under physical?
Services Typically Covered in an Annual Physical Exam:
- Review of Medical History
- Discussion of past medical history, surgeries, and family medical history.
- Review of current medications, supplements, and allergies.
- Discussion of lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, alcohol, and tobacco use.
- Vital Signs Check
- Blood pressure measurement.
- Heart rate (pulse).
- Respiratory rate.
- Body temperature.
- Weight and height measurements to calculate BMI (Body Mass Index).
- Physical Examination
- General physical assessment, including heart, lung, and abdomen examination.
- Ear, nose, and throat examination.
- Reflexes, balance, and coordination checks.
- Skin check for any abnormalities.
- Preventive Screenings
- Basic screenings for conditions like high blood pressure and obesity.
- Age-appropriate screenings, such as a pap smear for women (though this may vary by age and frequency).
- Mammogram, DEXA or colonoscopy referrals, depending on age and risk factors (the tests themselves may not be covered, but recommendations may be part of the visit).
- Laboratory Tests (if needed)
- Basic blood tests such as a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) or Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP).
- Cholesterol levels (Lipid Panel).
- Thyroid function test, basic
- Blood sugar test for diabetes screening (e.g., fasting glucose or HbA1c).
- Urinalysis, if necessary.
- Immunizations (if due)
- Annual vaccines such as the flu shot.
- Counseling and Health Education
- Counseling on smoking cessation, weight management, or alcohol reduction.
- Discussion on managing chronic conditions (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes).
- Recommendations for lifestyle changes to improve health.
Services Typically Not Covered in an Annual Physical Exam:
- Diagnostic Tests for Specific Complaints
- If you come in with a specific issue or symptom, diagnostic tests (e.g., X-rays, MRIs, CT scans) may not be covered under the annual physical, as they are typically considered diagnostic and not preventive.
- Extensive Blood Work
- Tests such as advanced lipid panels, hormone levels (e.g., estrogen , progesterone, testosterone), or tests for specific conditions like vitamin deficiencies may not be covered unless medically necessary.
- Specialty Referrals and Follow-up Tests
- Referrals to specialists or additional testing recommended after the physical may not be included in the coverage of an annual physical itself.
- Screenings for Unrelated Conditions
- Screenings like STD testing, genetic testing, or other unrelated diagnostic tests are not typically part of the routine physical unless specifically requested.
- Cosmetic Procedures
- Any requests for cosmetic evaluations (e.g., skin tags, mole removal for cosmetic reasons) are not covered under preventive services.
- Vaccines Not Typically Considered Preventive
- Travel-related vaccines (e.g., yellow fever, typhoid) are not usually included in the routine annual physical and may require out-of-pocket costs.
Conclusion
Your insurance may fully cover an annual physical exam as a preventive service, but always check with your insurance provider, as certain services may require copays or additional coverage, especially for non-preventive services.
What is your medication refill policy?
Our goal is to assist our patients with prescription requests in an efficient and timely manner. Due to the volume of prescription requests, we have created the following guidelines to help meet these goals.
1. It is the patient’s responsibility to notify the office in a timely manner when refills are necessary. Approval of your refill may take up to three (3) business days, so do not wait to call. If you use a mail order pharmacy, that will take an additional seven (7) days.
2. Medication refills will only be addressed during regular office hours (Monday – Friday (8:00am – 5:00pm). No prescriptions will be refilled on Saturday, Sunday or Holidays.
3. Your provider will prescribe the appropriate number of prescription refills to last until your next scheduled appointment. Generally, when you are down to zero refills, it is time to schedule a follow up appointment. We prefer you request any refills of your medications at the beginning of your office visit.
4. Prescription refills require close monitoring by your provider to ensure its safety and effectiveness. So it’s our practice policy to perform required blood work at least every six months.
5. Patients requesting NEW prescription medication or referrals or radiology orders must be seen for an appointment. They are not prescribed over the phone because it generally requires an office visit.
6. Refills can only be authorized on medication prescribed by providers from our office. We will not refill medications prescribed by other providers.
7. Some medications require prior authorization. This process can take anywhere from 3-5 business days. Neither the pharmacy nor the provider can guarantee that your insurance company will approve the medication. Please check with your pharmacy or your insurance company for updates.
8. Patients taking medications for multiple chronic conditions are asked to see a provider every 3-6 months.
9. It is important to keep your scheduled appointment to ensure that you receive timely refills. If you miss or cancel your scheduled appointment, we can only send refills for up to 30 days so you can schedule your appointment before the next 90 days refill. Repeated no shows or cancellations will result in a denial of refills.
10. For any acute, unresolved condition which is persistent or worsening symptoms, refills are not granted and an office visit may be required to treat the condition appropriately.
11. If you have any questions regarding medications, please discuss these during your appointment.
What is your policy for lab/radiology results call back?
- To view the lab results online, patients are advised to set up themselves for the patient portal.
- In our practice, we encourage patients to get labs drawn before their upcoming routine follow up or Physical appointment (this is “recommended” but not mandatory).
- Labs drawn before the day of appointment are reviewed with patients at the time of upcoming appointment, so please keep your appointment.
- For labs drawn on the day of appointment, results can take 2-3 business days. Per office policy, if anything needs more discussion, our office will call you within 5 business days.
- If lab or radiology result review warrants a face-to-face appointment, our office might ask you to set up an appointment so that you get due attention to go over results and ask any questions related to your results.
What services does Health Express Clinics, Lewisville offer?
We offer a wide range of primary health care services, including:
- Chronic care management
- Annual physicals
- Sports physicals
- Men’s health
- Women’s health
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Medical weight loss
- Peptide therapy
How do I make an appointment?
You can schedule an appointment by calling us] or by booking online through our website. We also accept walk-ins for certain services.
What types of insurance do you accept?
We accept most major health insurance plans. For a full list of accepted insurance providers, please contact our office or check our insurance page.
What should I bring to my appointment?
Please bring the following to your appointment:
- A valid photo ID
- Your insurance card
- A list of any medications you are currently taking
- Any medical records or test results related to your visit
Do you offer same-day appointments?
Yes, we offer same-day appointments for urgent care needs. We recommend calling ahead to check availability.
What is your cancellation policy?
We kindly ask that you provide at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. This allows us to accommodate other patients.
Can I get my lab results online?
Yes, you can access your lab results through our secure patient portal. Results are typically available within a few days of your visit. Our staff will notify you when your results are ready.
Do you offer telehealth services?
Yes, we offer telehealth appointments for certain types of visits. Please contact us to see if a telehealth option is appropriate for your medical needs.
Are your services available for children?
Yes, we provide care for patients of ages 10 yr and above.