Frequently Asked Questions

Our office is open Monday through Friday. As our daily schedule is subject to change, please call to confirm office hours.

Yes, we welcome new patients.

Advocare participates with most major insurance plans. As participation varies by region, specialty, and physician, we recommend that you contact either our office or your insurance company representative to verify that your insurance plan is accepted.

Our provider is available 24 hours a day.  Call the office at 609-561-2518 and follow the directions on the message. Please be aware that after-hours calls are intended for urgent medical issues that cannot wait until the next business day. Referrals and appointment requests will not be addressed after hours.  Our provider will typically return your call within 20 minutes.  Please call back if you have not received a timely response.

In the event of a life threatening emergency, call 911.

The American Medical Association recommends annual "well" visits. A well visit may be a checkup or a complete exam, and provides an opportunity for you to ask questions and learn more about various health issues. Your health care provider may also order important age-appropriate screenings at this time. Periodic follow-up visits are also recommended for patients who have chronic health conditions.

As your child enters the adolescent years, it is important to keep vaccines current. Annual well visits provide an opportunity to ask questions about adolescent health issues. If your child has any chronic conditions, he or she may be seen more frequently. Please discuss your child's well visit schedule with our physician or nurse practitioner.

When you call the office and you are sick, you can be seen within 24 hours. Acute care will be provided on the same day that you call. Physicals will be scheduled two to three weeks from the time you call. As a reminder, during the month of August many students are going to college or returning to high school and are required to have a physical, so keep this in mind and schedule in advance. We do encourage our patients to schedule an appointment for their next visit at the time of their well visit or recheck.

 If you need a referral please read the following to facilitate the process:
 

• First check your insurance plan. Not all insurances require referrals.Your insurance manual should have all of the necessary information. Also,many HMOs and managed care plans do not cover mental health visits with your primary care provider. In general, these plans have a separate service to provide for these needs (you may have an 800 number on the back of your insurance card for substance abuse and mental health).

 

• If you have a condition that we have never been consulted for, you probably need an office appointment. We may be able to help you with this problem ourselves or direct you to the proper specialist.

 

• If you have scheduled an appointment with a specialist or diagnostic test please allow us plenty of time to get the necessary approval. The referral process can sometimes be tedious and time consuming. We endeavor to provide referrals the same day, but not everything is under our control. We may have to contact the insurance company and get approval. We may have to contact the specialist or diagnostic center for provider ID codes, procedure codes, and diagnostic codes. Many insurances now use the internet for approval and on occassion their sites are down.

 

• Once, your referral is approved you will have to pick up the paperwork. We can not fax or mail referrals.

Referrals can often be done on the same day, but if a prior authorization is necessary, it could take anywhere from one to five days to receive your referral. If you have a scheduled appointment with a specialist and need a referral, please contact our office at (609) 561-2518 as soon as possible.

How to contact us for referrals:
 

• Call (609) 561-2518. After the greeting message, press "4" for the referral extension. If it is busy you will be sent to a voice message box. Please leave your name (with spelling) and a phone number where you can be reached (include area code).

You will receive a call quickly with any lab results that require urgent attention. Other abnormal lab results will be addressed promptly by the provider that ordered the labs or tests. Normal values are usually not reported, however, you are welcome to call our office to request a copy of your results.

Your medication is important and we do not want you to run out. Following the instructions below will help ensure that you receive your refill prescription promptly.

 

• If you need a refill, first check to see if you are due for an office visit to evaluate and manage your condition. Generally, your provider will give you enough medication until your next visit. If you are running short, you may be due for an office visit.

 

• If you are not due for an appointment, call our office at (609) 561-2518. When you hear our automated message, press “5” to be forwarded to a voice message box. Leave a message with your name (please spell it), your birthdate (for confirmation), your phone number, the medication name and dosage, and the pharmacy (name and town) and pharmacy phone number where you would like your prescription filled.

 

• Please allow two business days for us to comply with your request for your prescription refill. We receive a large amount of requests daily. For each request we must pull the patient's chart, verify the condition and medication, consult a physician, and contact a pharmacy.

 

• Narcotics or other controlled medication will not be refilled by phone. These medications must be controlled carefully and require office visits.

 

• Please do not wait until the last minute. Your refills should be listed on your bottles. Contact us early so that we can arrange for an office visit or a refill as necessary.

Medications cannot be refilled during weekend hours or during off hours. During the off hours our physicians do not have the benefit of the patient records to verify dose and condition. On weekends and off hours, you may leave a voice mail message by dialing (609) 561-2518 and pressing "5" when you hear the voice message. Your message will be picked up on the next weekday.

Yes, family physicians are trained to manage common problems ranging from birth to old age. Certain practices may focus on special lifecycle stages.

Family doctors are trained to provide for the entire family, from infant to geriatric care. Internists see only patients age 18 and older and have additional training in managing complex adult diseases. Some internists may treat patients as young as age 12. We recommend that you check with the office to determine their practice range. Advocare Advanced Primary Care treats patients age six and older.