Welcome to Gordon Medical Associates!
As you begin your journey of healing with our office, there are a few things to explain so you get the most for your health care needs. You’re likely wondering what to expect and what will be different with our office. Let me explain that for you…
After the appointment your Medical Assistant (MA) will go through your patient instructions, gather your test kits or lab orders, and send your prescriptions. Make sure to keep your preferred pharmacy up to date to ensure the fastest processing for your prescriptions. This process can take up to 72 business hours after your appointment, so don’t get concerned if you don’t receive your instructions for next steps right away.
There is so much information shared during your two hour appointment, it’s only natural that you may have follow up questions or need guidance when a protocol doesn’t go well. This is where your MA is invaluable. They are the go between for you and your practitioner, willing to help and get you answers.
You can call or portal message your MA regarding your questions or concerns. Please limit these contacts to three a week, as we have a lot of patients. If the phone calls or emails become excessive or lengthy, or the practitioner has to open your chart for answers, we charge a minimal fee for them, depending on the practitioner’s time spent responding. Fees for these contacts on request.
It is suggested you start the treatment protocol as soon as possible. Get your labs and test kits drawn within the week your receive them, unless your practitioner has instructed you to do otherwise. Most labs drawn from Quest or Lab Corp will take up to a 2 weeks to get results, whereas most test kits that need to be shipped to a specialty lab can take 4-6 weeks to get results.
As you start new protocols, keep track of when you start, and how you respond. If you don’t keep track of how you respond, it can be easy to forget when you see your doctor. These notes can be helpful in figuring out medication or supplement reactions, which are not always as simple to identify as we would like. It can also show signs of improvement that you may not notice as things get better. Keeping track of how you are feeling can give a lot of information as to what is happening. Have your notes handy for your follow up appointment to help you remember what you want to tell your doctor.
Make your first follow up appointment 4-6 weeks from when the lab receives your samples. Follow up appointments are generally 60 minutes, every 2-3 weeks for the first 6-12 months, as you adjust to your new treatment plan. Once you and your practitioner feel you are stable on treatment, the appointments will be further apart, possibly as far as once a year.
Follow up appointments can be done in office, by phone, or by secure video.
If you are traveling to us for treatment from out of town, our travel guide is a great resource if you need help finding lodging, transportation, or local dining options.
We hope you have a wonderful experience in our office and look forward to walking with you down your healing path!
– All the Staff at Gordon Medical Associates
Who to contact about:
Scheduling (Doctor appointments & clinic visits)
Front Desk 415-757- 6100 Option 1
Labs (Ordering, kits, & results)
Your Medical Assistant via portal message or phone 415-757- 6100 + their extension
Questions for your doctor
Send a portal message to your Medical Assistant.
Records Requests
Front Desk 415-757- 6100 Option 1 or fill out the form in the Questionnaires section of your patient portal.
Billing or Superbill Questions
Front Desk 415-757- 6100 Option 1 or via portal message
Appointment Scheduling / Adjustments
A quick Secure Message via the Patient Portal or phone call to our front desk staff is the best way to handle any scheduling questions. They can make any adjustments you need or help you schedule new appointments with our doctors and for clinic treatments.
You can reach our front desk staff at (415) 757-6100.
Please be aware that our office is not an emergency or urgent care facility.
We will assist you as best we can, but during business hours.
If during the time we are closed, you are presented with an urgent need or concern with your health you can call the office and leave a voicemail for the on-call practitioner. (Not prescription refills – refills are only provided during business hours, so plan ahead.)
They will respond to messages until 10pm, and then again in the morning before business hours. You will be charged their current hourly rate for the length of the call. ($800-$1,000/hr )
If your practitioner feels you need urgent care, you will be asked to go to your local emergency department or urgent care facility.
NOTE: IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE HAVING AN EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL 911 OR GO TO YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OR URGENT CARE FACILITY.
Navigating The Patient Portal
The Portal will streamline secure communications with the office, allowing you to ask questions, refill prescriptions, view test results, and many other options. Our goal is for the Portal to be the main route of patient communication, making it easier for you to get the information you need.
Menu options and how to use them:
My Account Details
You can quickly update your contact information under this tab. Also found here are your contact preferences, insurance information, and photo if you ever need to make adjustments.
Secure Messaging
The best way to talk with your medical assistant and get a message to your doctor. Please remember to always allow up to 48 business hours for a response. Our staff have many complex questions to respond to daily and may not be able to get to yours before the end of business hours on the same day.
For acute care, please reference the information in the scheduling tab.
Invoices and Payment
Invoices and payment receipts are readily available after payment is processed. You can also update your credit card information or make a payment on your own here.
Questionnaires
All of your new patient paperwork lives here. You can also find a records release document and consent forms for other in-person appointments like IV’s and injections here as you move through treatment.
Labs and Documents
Your lab results can be released to your Portal account after review by your practitioner. You or your practitioner may wish to schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss the results.
Also within this section, you can send a document to the Portal by simply clicking the “Upload New Document” button and following the instructions on-screen.
My Medications & My Supplements
You can review your current medications from Gordon Medical and add other medications prescribed by a practitioner outside of Gordon Medical, which your GMA practitioner can review for a better healthcare experience. For Supplements, there is also information on how to order from Doctors Supplement Store and a discount code.
My Pharmacies
Your personal pharmacies can be reviewed, added, and your preferred primary pharmacy can be indicated easily.
My Visit Summaries
All visit summaries, including assessments, recommended prescriptions and orders, additional instructions, and follow-up times (if any) are available within 72 business hours from the conclusion of your visit.
*The visit summaries are not “Superbills” for insurance purposes. Look under Invoices and Payment for Receipts.
Prescriptions & Supplements
After your appointment – your medical assistant will send you a detailed portal message to let you know what was recommended by your doctor and where to get these items.
It’s important to have your most current and accurate
height and weight on your chart to send with your prescriptions.
Supplements
Most supplements can be ordered from Fullscript or Doctors Supplement Store. (details below)
Some tinctures, supplements, and peptides can be ordered directly from our office. Please contact us to place your order and authorize payment.
Fullscript
Only available for Patients of GMA, access to Professional Grade Supplements, Minerals, & Vitamins from a trusted source. Autoship is available and they have FREE SHIPPING for all orders over $50!
To sign up and start your order –
- Visit the GMA online Fullscript dispensary: us.fullscript.com/welcome/egordon1555351593
- Enter your email address. Click “Submit” Set a password. Click “Sign Up”
- Complete your account information, and start shopping by choosing “Catalog”
Contact Fullscript by phone: 866-807-3828
Doctors Supplement Store
- Website: www.DSSOrders.com/GMA
- Your Registration Code is: EG2463
- Get 10% off your first order with discount code: HCPC2463WELCOME
- Those who prefer are welcome to call 877-846-7122, option 1 (6AM – 4PM PST) for assistance in registration or shopping.
Prescriptions
Please keep your preferred pharmacy information up to date on your patient portal. This will create the most efficiency when your Medical Assistant sends your prescription orders.
Always call pharmacy first to verify if it’s been filled and the timing of when it will be ready before going to pick it up.
Refills:
- For most medications, it’s best to request a refill when you are halfway through your medication (they generally require a minimum of 72hrs to process)
- Refills can be requested by calling the pharmacy and asking for a prescription refill request to be sent to GMA.
How labs work
After your consultation with the doctor, your Medical Assistant (MA) will send your encounter summary roughly 24-48 business hours after the appointment. They will tell you which labs to do and how you’ll receive them.
As a rule, test kits from our office are shipped on Fridays. Please allow a week for delivery (longer in holiday season)
There are several types of labs – usually you’ll have 1-4 of these after your inatke. Make sure you have all of them before scheduling a blood draw.
- Labcorp & quest – we share the requisition in your portal – you take this to the lab for the blood draw
- A discount is often available if insurance doesn’t cover it
- Specialty kits in stock with us – we will ship to you
- Specialty kits that are drop shipped from the lab
- Some labs you will order yourself – we will provide instruction on how
- Labcorp & quest – we share the requisition in your portal – you take this to the lab for the blood draw
Blood Draw Options
- You can take the requisition to your local Labcorp or Quest – no charge through insurance. (Recommendations for local blood draw sites available on request)
- For specialty kit blood draws only – book an appointment with our Lab Tech, Trina (cost: $150.00, complex draw $200)
- Blood draws can happen with IV’s – front desk needs advance notice to schedule
- Please bring filled out kit forms and frozen ice packs to your appointment
- Home tests – instructions are in the kit when it arrives
- For provoked urine samples – Schedule an appointment with our IV room
Paying for your labs
- Most labs are paid directly up front
- The payment information is on the requisition that you fill out prior to sending your sample
- Many labs have an option to bill insurance (though you may need to provide a deposit)
- The lab will follow up if there is a balance due
Your results and follow up appointment
- Results can take 2-6 weeks to come in
- Your MA will upload them to your portal and notify you that they have been posted.
- Some results are posted to the lab’s portal
- Once you have submitted your sample, you can call the front desk to schedule your follow up appointment.
In order to be able to offer you the best care possible, without the limitations imposed by insurance companies, our services are charged out of pocket. All services provided are expected to be paid for in full at the time of service. This includes Medicare patients.
We do not bill insurance directly. You will be provided with a superbill that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Coverage is dependent on your specific insurance company’s policy. Please understand that we offer many innovative treatments and your insurance company may not pay for all of the treatments you receive in our office.
We have seen some patients have good experiences receiving insurance reimbursement assistance through American Medical Health Alliance and through Medical Bill Gurus.
A few notes to keep in mind:
- Please expect to pay within 24hrs of your appointment
- If you have special billing requests, please call ahead of your appointment to notify the front desk- this includes HSA/FSA charges
- You can use a credit card for virtual appointments and/or cash/check for in person visits.
- Alternatively, you can make a payment on your portal in the “Invoices & Payment” section as soon as your doctor finalizes your encounter summary
