OFFICE POLICIES

Primary Care Services:

Vanguard Medical Center is NOT a Primary Care Clinic and our practitioners are NOT Primary Care Providers (PCP).
We require that you maintain a primary care provider (i.e., family physician, pediatrician, Internist) and specialists care for your regular medical needs.
Our office does NOT work with insurance providers or provide referrals.
New symptoms or events require a clinic appointment.

Emergencies & After Hour Care:

ALL patients are required to have a primary care provider with whom they can consult in the event of an emergency or urgent problem.
Our providers do NOT have hospital affiliations, and do NOT prioritize acute conditions such as infections or injuries.
Visits may ONLY be scheduled for issues related to a treatment or medication(s) that they have been prescribed.
In the event of a medical emergency please do NOT contact our clinic.
Please call your primary care provider or dial 911.

Prescriptions & Refills:

For medical and legal reasons, we ONLY refill prescriptions during office visits.
Failure to comply with our policy prevents providers from completing the necessary patient medical assessments, bypassing the opportunity to provide preventive care thereby jeopardizing the patient's safety.
Refills are granted at the time of your appointment. We will NOT refill request by the pharmacies between office visits.
If you have forgotten to ask for a prescription refill during your visit, our providers will only authorize ONE (1) refill for ONE (1) medication if the request is made within 2 weeks of the office visit.
- If the medication refill request is made after the 2 week deadline has passed, an additional office visit will be required.
Our staff will NOT return any phone calls regarding refills.
We prescribe enough drugs and refills until your next appointment. We strongly recommend that clients schedule their next visit before they leave our office.
Before your medication runs low, please call us for an appointment.
It is your responsibility to schedule an appointment AND complete your lab work for review BEFORE you run out of medication.
If you are unable to come to for an appointment, we recommend that you go to a walk-in clinic, of your choosing, to obtain a refill. (bring your empty bottle)
ALL PRESCRIPTIONS REQUIRE AN OFFICE VISIT.
IF PROVIDERS ARE ASKED TO SENT PRESCRIPTION(S) IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE ASKING US TO PERFORM A SERVICE (i.e. Work).
IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR ALL BUSINESS SERVICES TO BE COMPENSATED.
WE REGRET BUT WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FREE SERVICES AS A BUSINESS.
We will ONLY refill prescriptions that have originated in this office.
ALL prescriptions that are controlled (narcotics, sedative, etc.) will NOT be sent without an office visit.
We DO NOT prescribe controlled substances for chronic conditions - pain, anxiety, insomnia, ect.
We require that you obtain these medications from pain management specialists, psychiatrists, neurologists or PCP.
IF YOU ARE OUT OF MEDICATIONS REFILLS, THEN YOU ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND WILL DISMISSED FROM THE PRACTICE. (I.E - NO OFFICE VISIT, NO REFILL).
Pharmacy transfers for existing prescriptions: Pharmacists must transfer a prescription remaining refills between pharmacies.
- We will NOT issues new prescriptions if the prescriptions have refills.
- Please call the pharmacy you which to transfer your prescription to provide them with the necessary information.
We DO NOT refill prescriptions after hours.

Laboratory Testing:

Functional Medicine testing and therapies provided by Vanguard Medical Center extend far beyond what traditional insurance will cover, and by them is labeled as “preventative and wellness”.
Uncovering the root cause of the symptom of an a condition requires in depth laboratory testing.
While we endeavour to order only the necessary testing, but there are many applicable out of pocket expenses.
IMPORTANT: We ask you to consider carefully your budget before embarking on your healthcare journey to determine if functional medicine is right for you.
The costs incurred include the use of supplements in addition to medications that may be covered by your insurance.
Functional medicine focuses on identifying and correcting the root cause of a disease. In most cases, we utilize professional grade nutraceuticals to nourish the cells thereby improving the health and function of the organ. Our customized treatment plans include diets, supplements which are an investment in your health.
Please remember that it took your body a long time to develop levels of deficit likewise, it will take time, dedication and money to correct the present imbalances.
Overall, the cost involved is based on the time, energy and expertise invested in you which is heavier on the front end.
Overall results and timeline are heavily influenced by your depth of issues and your level of engagement. (i.e. Your level of compliance to your personalized prescriptive plan weighs heavily on your outcome).
All tests billed by the laboratory to your insurance that are not paid by insurance, are your financial responsibility.
Labs that is ordered are subject to the terms and conditions of your health insurance plan, and deductibles or relevant to lab services. This is between between your insurance and the lab.
It is your responsibility to know what your insurance benefits are for all test orders (wellness, preventive, etc.).
We encourage our clients to become familiar with all aspects of their insurance coverage before any lab testing takes place.
IMPORTANT: Please take into consideration your financial situation when embarking on this health journey. If you are unable to invest in your treatment in and out of the office, you may not experience optimal results.
ALL questions regarding your bill should be directed toward your insurer. Any required testing may be processed via insurance.
OUR OFFICE AND PROVIDERS ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR ANY TEST NOT COVERED BY YOUR INSURANCE.
WE DO NOT PROVIDE PRIOR AUTHORIZATION FOR ORDERED LAB TESTS.
We provide you a copy of your lab orders due 2 WEEKS prior to your next office visit. The orders are valid for 6 months. PLEASE DO NOT LOOSE YOUR ORDERS.
There are instances when the client will be required to return to the clinic for a visit: (included but limited to the following)
- Failure to complete your labs within the allotted time frame
- Loss of the orders
- Expiration of the orders

Laboratory Patient Copies:

We DO NOT provide complimentary (free) copies of your lab results. There is a $1 per page fee payable at the end of the visit. This fee is to defray the printing cost to the practice. "The blood is yours but the paper and ink is ours!" Thank you in advance for your understanding.
- You have the option to use the patient portal for Quest or Labcorp, which is free of charge, to anyone who uses the individual services.