New and prospective patients, please read this letter over thoroughly.
This letter is intended as a “tour” of my policies and fees, and will hopefully answer all of your questions to help you decide if my services are right for you. If there is anything else you need to know, please call and ask. My voicemail is confidential.
Office hours are by appointment. Monday, Wednesday & Thursday are the main office days, although other times are occasionally possible. There are evening hours available on Weds. Appointments are typically 30-45 minutes for children, 45-50 minutes for adults. New patient appointments are 1.5- 2 hours. Often the homeopath spends several additional hours researching a challenging case, before making a prescription.
CHECK OR CASH — I do not take credit card payments
I am usually available to my established patients around the clock by phone. I return calls made to the office within 24 hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Fees for phone calls requiring prescribing are $20/ < 5 mins.; $35/6-10 mins.; $50/ 10-15 mins; $75 /16--25 mins; $100 / 25-39 mins.; $120 > 40 mins I do not bill for information-sharing. After-hours urgent calls—i.e. those requiring a call back outside the Monday-Thursday 10-6 pm time frame—incur a $50 minimum charge, and may be made to me at 425-299-1175. This service is available to established patients only.
If you are having an emergency and haven’t heard from me promptly, you should dial 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. During my absence from town (e.g., during vacations or training sessions) I will inform you on the office-message as to where to obtain qualified homeopathic help in my absence. Please do not bypass the start of the message, or you might miss emergency instructions.
I check email daily on office days, and once or twice between Fri-Sun. Emails to make or change appointments are welcome; any emails requiring problem solving or a response are billed at the same rate as phone calls. Please do not use email for acute health problems or emergencies; leave a phone message instead, and I will get back to you asap.
Because I am a certified P.A., several third party payers reimburse you for my services at the same rate as they reimburse out-of-network MD’s (typically 60-100%). Payment in full is expected at time of visit; an itemized bill (with CPT and ICD-9 Codes) will be provided should you wish to submit to insurance for possible reimbursement. I am NOT a “preferred provider” with any plan. If you call or text me at this emergency number, you will be charged emergency fees.
Please be aware that anything you tell me in the context of our professional relationship is confidential (this is true for teens as well as adults) as outlined by HIPA guidelines. Records cannot be released to anyone without your written permission.
If you have young children, as a favor to yourself, try to arrange for assistance or babysitting during your appointment, so that you can reap the full benefit of the interview. Homeopathic constitutional clients are asked to minimize coffee use for 4- 6 weeks from the time of their first visit. (Tea is OK). If this doesn’t work for you, please let me know. Your candor about your habits, including recreational drug use, will enable me to prescribe more accurately for you. Please keep your homeopath up-to-date on all your current medications, dental work, coffee, and other drug use. Try to report your symptom picture in its totality, including what makes your symptoms better, and what makes them worse—the homeopath is less focused on disease labels, or types of germs, and wants to know, instead, how YOU feel and how you act (including preferences and aversions) when you are out of balance. Unusual symptoms, feelings, or behaviors are especially important to mention.
If you have young children, as a favor to yourself, try to arrange for assistance or babysitting during your appointment, so that you can reap the full benefit of the interview. Your candor about your habits, including recreational drug use, will enable me to prescribe more appropriately for you. Please keep your homeopath up-to-date on all your current medications, dental work, coffee, and other drug use.
~Lucy Vaughters
Medical History Form, Microsoft Word Version
Medical History Form, PDF Version