Frequently Asked Questions

Please bring your insurance card to every visit to verify that we have the most up-to-date information on file. We recommend you bring a list of all current medications as well to verify we have your most up-to-date prescriptions on file.

Yes, our Tracy location is open on Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM with one physician present. Appointments fill up quickly, so book early! Note: The Manteca location is closed on Saturdays.

We understand that our phone lines are very busy and often require an extended hold. We apologize for the wait times and we appreciate your patience as we are working on a new phone system. If you are unable to contact our clinic via telephone, we highly recommend you create your My Hill Chart in order to send messages directly to your physician and our staff. This will allow our staff to contact you as soon as a member is available rather than having to waiting on hold.

Yes, our clinic provides in-person appointments for motor vehicle accidents, however, it will not be processed under your insurance. Our clinic does not currently accept motor vehicle accident (MVA) insurance due to the complexities of processing these claims. As a result, we require upfront payment for MVA-related visits, with the understanding that patients will be reimbursed by their insurance for eligible expenses. We strive to make the reimbursement process as transparent and efficient as possible. Please contact our office for the pricing of MVA appointments.

We do not accept workers' compensation insurance. If you have been injured at work and are seeking treatment related to a workers' compensation claim, we recommend contacting your employer or the workers' compensation insurance provider to discuss your options for care.

My Chart is a secure portal that allows you to access your health records, communicate with your provider, schedule appointments, complete video visits, review test results, and request prescription refills. Please request access to your portal during your next appointment.

Yes! Here at Premier Care Physicians, patient charts are securely documented into the same epic software shared among all providers. If your schedule does not align with your primary physician’s available appointment times, you can request an appointment with any one of our available physicians. In addition, you can schedule a telemedicine visit to speak to your provider from the comfort of your home.

A referral is essentially a written order from your primary care physician to see a specialist for a specific medical service. Referrals are required by most health insurance companies to ensure that patients are seeing the correct providers for the correct problems.

If your primary care physician deems it necessary, they may refer you to a specialist - for example: apodiatrist for a foot-related issue, or an ophthalmologist for an eye check-up. At PremierCare Physicians, our providers have been pillars in the local health care community and have great relationships with established specialists in the area. They will refer you to local specialists accepted by your insurance provider, if necessary.

Steps to process your referral:

1. Our office will contact you within 2-3 days via phone call or My Chart (if you are active on the portal) to confirm the location of your referral.

2. Your referred specialist will then call you to schedule an appointment for an initial consultation

• If you do not receive a call from the specialist by next week, please call the number provided on your referral.
• If a specialist is absent from your referral at check out, our referral coordinator is in the process of assigning you a specialist based on your insurance. Please wait until our office contacts you with the referral information to call.

3. Please call our office or send a message through your Hill Chart if you have any questions or concerns.

All lab orders are automatically faxed electronically to your preferred lab location once ordered. No you do not need the physical copy. However, our clinic has noted in some cases, the lab facility may state that the order is not in their system. This may be due to a number of factors including alternate specialists ordered additional labs, a different name placed projected in their system, or fax error. If you have had difficulty with lab retrieval in the past, we recommend you take a hard copy of the lab orders to the facility. Lab orders can be obtained during your visit check out or can be electronically messaged through your portal for telemedicine visits.

If a radiology order has been place for you today, our office will fax your orders to your covered/preferred imaging location. The imaging facility will call you in 2-3 days to schedule you an appointment unless an authorization is needed. If you do not hear from the facility within 3 days, please call the radiology center to schedule an appointment.

If Quest mails you a letter informing you of an incorrect billing code for your order, please bring the printed letter to our office so that our biller can make the necessary changes if applicable.

*Note: Charges are dependent on each insurance*

You can:

• - Pay through your My Chart portal
• - Mail a check to the clinic.
• - Pay in person

Prior authorizations (PA) are dependent on your insurance. If a PA has been initiated for your new medications, our office will begin the authorization process with your insurance.

The following time frames will apply:

PA Time Frame for Generic New Medications/Supplies:

• Authorization will take up to 2 weeks to process.
• If you do not receive a call back from our clinic or from the pharmacy in 3 weeks, please send your provider a message on MyHillChart.

PA Time Frame for Weight Loss Medications (Wegovy, Zepbound, etc..):

• Authorization may take up to 4 weeks for insurance processing; we appreciate your patience
• - If you do not receive a call back from our clinic or from the pharmacy in 5 weeks, please send your provider a message on MyHillChart.

Your medication may have been declined for the following reasons:

1. You have not been seen within the past 6 months and are requesting a refill on a medication that requires routine lab work as part of your chronic treatment management.
2. You are no longer under one of our prescribers' care.
3. You are requesting a refill on a controlled substance.
   • a. Due to state guidelines, our office cannot send controlled substances for more than a 30-day supply. A monthly appointment is needed for each refill. Please schedule your appointment according to your next refill date.

If you have chronic conditions such as Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Abnormal Thyroid, in need of chronic medication management, etc.. We require routine follow-ups every three to six months in order to ensure your labs have remained stable, medication side effects are not present, and to ensure there are no adverse changes to your health. If you have no chronic conditions or high risk factors to your health, it is recommended to complete an Annual Physical to review your blood work. Follow up appointments are dependent on your provider.

Yes, you can schedule a nurse visit where our nurse will complete the injection for you in addition to educating you and your family on how to complete the injection at home.

Chronic conditions develop and worsen over an extended period of time. These long-developing syndromes, such as osteoporosis or asthma. These conditions frequently involve multiple systems in the body and require more care and resources to maintain a normal lifestyle. Chronic conditions can be linked to long-term lifestyle habits such as drinking, smoking, poor nutrition, or lack of physical activity

An acute condition is severe and sudden in onset. It has symptoms that appear and change/worsen rapidly and can be anything from a broken bone to a heart attack. The conditions are isolated to one bodily area and respond to treatment which can be resolved soon. Our physicians have extensive training and experience in the treatment of both chronic and acute conditions. Please contact our office to schedule an appointment if you notice any concerning changes to your health.

Preventative care consists of measures that are taken for the prevention of disease. Many diseases and health conditions are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices. They are dynamic processes that begin before individuals can even realize that they are affected.

Examples include:

• Immunizations and flu shots can help prevent the flu and other diseases.
• Colon cancer screening can help prevent colon cancer, or find it in the early stages when it's more treatable.
• Breast cancer screening can help prevent breast cancer, or find it in the early stages when it is more treatable.
• Blood pressure monitoring can help reduce risk of cardiovascular and kidney-related events.
• Preventive cardiovascular care and early intervention can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Regular blood work can help detect any significant changes in your body.
• Cholesterol monitoring can help prevent heart disease.
• Annual checkups can help prevent health problems before they start or get worse.

Our physicians have extensive training and experience in medical care that is focused on using preventative measures such as lifestyle changes, stress management, proper sleep hygiene, as well as optimum nutrition and exercise to ensure a great quality of life.

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that impact your body's ability to use sugar(glucose). Glucose is crucial to your health because it is an important source of energy not just for your muscles and tissues, but it is your brain's main source of fuel. While the underlying causes of diabetes can vary depending on Type 1 or Type 2, ultimately chronic diabetes conditions can lead to serious health problems if not monitored and managed.

At PremierCare Physicians, our physicians provide top-of-the-line care through pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment and monitoring of blood sugar. Our practice focuses on improving health outcomes through realistic lifestyle changes, management of diabetes medication, simplifying blood sugar monitoring for patients with continuous glucose monitoring devices, and regular blood tests including HgbA1c. Our office also offers all necessary support for insulin management. Routine labs are often generated every 3 months for appropriate HgbA1c monitoring.

Nearly 29 million adults in America have high total cholesterol. High cholesterol has no symptoms, so many people don't even know that their cholesterol levels are too high. High cholesterol can cause a dangerous accumulation of cholesterol deposits on the walls of your arteries, which can reduce blood flow and lead to complications such as chest pain, heart attack, and even stroke.

High cholesterol can be inherited, but most often it is the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, which makes it preventable and treatable.

At PremierCare Physicians, our physicians treat patients holistically and improve health outcomes through realistic and simplified lifestyle changes, management of medication.