Eclipse Office Policy and
After Hours Care
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If you think your child is having a
life-threatening emergency
Dial 911!
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Office Policy
Physicians are available to talk with you from 8:00 AM until their scheduled routine appointments begin. When you call during regular office hours a message will be left for the doctor to call you back as soon as possible. Calls are put in order as they are received, and our goal is to answer the phone calls as quickly as possible. Please leave a number where you can be reached. The doctor will help you decide when it will be best for an office visit. This helps children who are ill to be scheduled more efficiently for same day appointments.
If you think you have a life-threatening emergency, which requires immediate attention, call 911. If you have an urgent problem or emergency during office hours, please tell the staff specifically that your problem cannot wait for a return phone call, and you will immediately be able to talk with a doctor.
All office visits must be scheduled. It is important to call as early as you can to schedule your need for an office visit. If your child is ill, please call our office first before coming in. We offer same day appointments for children who are ill. Some problems, especially emergencies, may be better handled in an emergency room rather than our office. Always call first to determine the best way to handle an illness or emergency. Walk-in visits may result in unnecessary waits to see the doctor. There is an additional fee for unscheduled walk-in visits.
Please be on time for your visits. Late arrivals create unplanned delays for all patients who follow. This policy is important for our successful on time performance. We try to confirm appointments and remind you of your visit. We document all missed appointments. There is a 24-hour cancellation or re-schedule policy. A “no show” visit is time lost for the doctor. There will be a charge to your account.
It is the parent’s responsibility to bring the immunization record to each visit. On occasion, a vaccine is given at a different office and is not entered in your child’s medical record. We need to keep your child's medical record up to date.
As your child gets older additional forms are needed. A recent well-child exam within the past year is required for us to complete a daycare, school, camp, or sports form. Please get the form to us as soon as possible. We will try our best to complete the form while you wait. The office where the physical exam was done must complete the form. There is not enough time in a sick visit for us to complete the form.
We do not see children, adolescents, and young adults for only sick care. We treat ill children who also maintain regular well child exams or annual physical exams.
You must show your current insurance card at every visit. Insurance coverage and benefits change frequently. We verify your insurance each visit. We will try to call you if your insurance does not verify. Parents are responsible to know and understand their insurance benefits. Insurances are very complex, and we do our best to help you with them. Insurance companies mail parents new cards. They could change the policy number or the covered benefits. They can also change their billing address. With the cost of postage and supplies, we want to get it right the first time. We thank you for helping us.
If you have Cobra, we require full payment at time of service. Our office will give you a receipt to submit to your insurance company for payment.
Your insurance company requires that you pay your co-pay at the time of service. Additionally, many plans have deductibles that must be met before they pay for services. When your insurance company has paid their portion, we will send you a bill for the remainder. Payment is due immediately. As a participating provider in your insurance company, we submit claims for you to your insurance company. You will be responsible for any charges not covered by your insurance and any deductibles.
A service charge can be assessed monthly to your account for a balance carried past 30 days. If you need a special payment arrangement, please contact our billing department to set up an alternate payment schedule. Any delinquent account that is turned over to a collection agency or bankruptcy is reason for dismissal from our practice. If you remain in the practice, you must pay cash at the time of service. Co-payments must always be paid at the time of service.
Medication refills must be done during regular office hours. For a refill call the pharmacy. They will fax us the request. Request for other medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta or other medications for attention deficit, should be made several days in advance. Give us time!
In marital separation or divorce situations: the parent who brings in the child is responsible to Eclipse Medical Group for the co-pay and payment for the visit.
If your last name is different from your child’s, please let us know. This will help us locate your child’s chart more efficiently. Legal documentation is required for all name changes.
Many insurance plans require prior authorization before being sent to a specialist. Unauthorized visits and tests are not covered. If you need a request or follow up on an appointment, call our Referral Coordinator (714) 282-1069.
After Hours Care
When the office is closed, there is a doctor on call for emergency situations. When you call after hours and during the weekend, the professionals you speak with do not have your child’s chart. You must tell them important medical information about your child’s medical history. This would include vaccine status (if your child is not immunized or is not up-to-date) or has chronic medical conditions.
Our answering service is not medically trained. They take your name and phone number and send it to the doctor on call. If you do not hear from a doctor within one and one-half hours, please call the service back.
Have a pharmacy number available in case the doctor calls in medications for you and the pharmacy is open. You may need to travel to a 24-hour pharmacy, so have that phone number ready.
Take notes when the doctor calls you back. Remember, some problems are better handled in the morning when your child’s chart is available.
After 10:30 PM Children’s Hospital of Orange County nursing staff is the first to answer your emergency call. For advise about non-urgent conditions, call during regular office hours.
In emergency situations paramedics transport your child to the nearest emergency room. Call us if your child is going to be admitted. Many times we can transfer your child to Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Your insurance plan may require you to use a specific medical facility. If the doctor in the emergency room told you to follow up or the doctor on call told you to be seen the next day in the office, please call us to discuss the problem.
