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Welcome! Here is what to expect from your initial visit with our office. - Consultation with provider (either physician or our nurse practitioner, depending on who you schedule with) to go over your symptoms and history
- Prick puncture skin testing
- Intradermal skin testing
- Summary of test results and set plan of action
New patient forms:
Please complete the new patient forms. Be sure to use black or dark blue ink. Complete the insurance information section and bring the patient’s insurance care with you to the visit. Without the patient’s insurance card, we can not see the patient. If you would like a copy of the correspondence letter to go to your primary care physician, or any other provider, please be sure to include their full name and their complete address. You will also get a copy of this letter, so you do not need to indicate yourself. Please download and complete the appropriate set of forms in black or dark blue ink. ENGLISH SPANISH Although patients can be seen by self-referral, many health plans require prior authorization from your primary care physician. We must have a copy of this prior authorization before making your appointment. If possible, please forward or bring with you any previous records and reports that pertain to your visit. In addition, bring a written list of all current medications, or bring your bottles of medications.
At the initial consultation, a detailed history of the patient's medical condition, including duration, severity, medications, family history, and environmental and dietary factors will be obtained. A physical examination will be performed with special emphasis on systems affected by the symptoms. A decision will then be made as to whether further assessments, including skin tests, x-rays, labs or lung function tests should be performed (x-ray and lab work is not done at our facility). For further information and specific details on testing an other procedures please see our medical information page. Length of visit:
The visit for a new patient is approximately 2 hours. This is the consultation time, testing and summary. If a patient needs “special testing” = medications or bee venom testing the visit could be approximately 4 hours and must be scheduled as such. If you are coming in for “special testing” please make sure the receptionist is made aware, so we may allot the appropriate amount of time for your visit. Medications to Avoid:
To be tested, you will need to be off of all oral antihistamines for 5 days prior to the visit. Antihistamines are medication such as, but not limited to; Claritin, Benadryl, Zyrtec, Xyzal, Allegra, over the counter cough and cold medications. If you are unsure of a particular medication you may call our office or your pharmacy to clarify. If the patient is using the following nasal sprays; AstePro, Astelin, or Patanase they would also need to stop using those 5 days prior to the visit. Allergy eye drops would need to be stopped 24 hours prior to the visit. If you need any clarification please don’t hesitate to contact our office. There is a longer acting antihistamine, Atarax that must be stopped 7 days prior to testing. Summary:
After all tests are complete the provider will go over the results of the testing and how to proceed. Medications may be needed, or environmental changes or some patients that have a more extreme allergic situation may require immunotherapy also known as allergy injections. Each option would be discussed as to what would be appropriate for individual patient. Cost for the new patient exam and testing:
The cost for a new patient appointment is approximately $600 to $1,000. This is an average and can fluctuate depending on the length of the visit and amount of testing. Our fees reflect the time the physician and staff spend with you, the specialized care and education given and the diagnostic studies performed at our office. These fees compare competitively with those of other certified allergists in the area. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may only be responsible for a portion of that amount as we do bill your insurance company. We recommend that patients contact their insurance company to find out if there is a share of cost or a deductible to meet. If there is a deductible that has not been met, then you would be responsible for at least 20% of the visit at the time services are rendered.
Insurance:
We will bill your insurance; however few insurance policies cover all the costs of medical care. Please check with your insurance company for details. To clarify this information you can call your insurance company and provide these CPT codes. 99244 Consultation
95004 Prick puncture skin testing (aprx 72 individual tests, depending on patient's symptoms and needs)
95024 Intradermal skin testing (aprx 12 individual tests - same as above)
94010 Pulmonary Function Test (PFT, only needed for patients that are concerned with asthma or breathing difficulties) Many health plans require prior authorization for a patient to be seen by a specialist. (It is the responsibility of the patient to make sure this referral has been made for all visits.) HIPAA:
Our Notice of Privacy Practices or HIPAA can be found at the top right corner of our website for your review. Cancellations and missed appointments
We rely on you to keep your appointments. It is unfair to other patients who may have desired your appointment time if you choose to not use it at the last moment. If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please be sure to call our office 24 hours in advance to avoid the $45 fee.
If your appointment is scheduled for a Monday, we still ask that you call our office over the weekend and leave a message if you are unable to keep this appointment. We will return your call the next business day.
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