Doctor On Call - FAQ
Question: What exactly is Doctor On Call?
Answer: Doctor On Call is a new and innovative general medical practice and Albuquerque Urgent Care providing personal physician services 24 hours a day/7 days a week in the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area for the care of acute and urgent illnesses or injuries of both children and adults that are neither non-life threatening, critical, or potentially serious and/or requiring major medical or emergency care. These services are provided by licensed and qualified health care professionals including physicians, physician assistants, and certified nurse practitioners to patients in the convenience and comfort of their home (including nursing home or assited living facility), work place, or hotel room if the patient is a registered guest in an area hotel. The services are provided day or night with no appointment necessary.
Other services that Doctor On Call can provide or will provide in the future* include, physical examinations for school, employment, CDL, executive exams, and life insurance, Immigration Exams, Independent Medical Exams, Flight Physicals, chronic wound and ulcer care, diabetic foot care, vaccinations, and smoking cessation treatment.
Doctor On Call also provides health care professionals for medical coverage of special events including conventions, various entertainment venues (concerts, "Tractor Pulls", etc), production companies, and sporting events. Our health care professionals are also available to present health related "talks" and seminars to employers, corporate clients, schools, and other interested organizations.
Question: If my child has a fever and an earache and I call Doctor On Call what can I expect?
Answer: If it is during regular business hours your call will be taken by the receptionist who will ask if you would like to bring the child in to one of our clinics or if you would like the doctor to come to you. After hours, your call will be answered directly by the provider on call who will make arrangements to meet you at the clinic or to come to you. The child will be seen and treated by the provider and will be started on the appropriate antibiotics or medications, most of which are provided by us. You may also expect the provider to be courteous, professional, and to be well groomed and in professional attire regardless of the time of day.
Question: How much are your services and how do I pay?
Answer: Doctor On Call is committed to providing quality professional services at a reasonable cost which is generally considerably less than the charges for comparable services provided in an emergency room, a doctor's office, or other Urgent Care Centers.
Our current fee structure consists of an evaluation and management (E&M) or Professional charge which depends on the location of the call within the service area and the time the provider spends with the patient, lab charges for diagnostic testing (strep test,EKG, etc), medication/treatment charges* (medication, nebulizer, etc), procedure charges (wound repair, lesion removal, etc), and supply charges** (splints, dressings, etc). For example, a routine call for a 'sore throat' within Albuquerque including up to 15 minutes of E&M time (128.00), a strep test (25.00), antibiotic (16.00), and no procedures or supplies would total 169.00 plus tax. You may also have the option of being seen in our clinic which is open 8am to 10pm 7 days a week and after 10pm with prior arrangement by the provider on call. The basic fee for a walk in visit for an urgent or acute problem is 68.00 and includes up to 15 minutes of face to face time with the doctor or provider. This compares favorably to 370.00 and 150.00 (medication not included) for an ER and an Urgent Care charge respectively.***
* Many stock meds such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen and sample meds (when available) are provided at no charge.
** Some supply charges, e.g. dressings, may be included in a procedure charge, e.g., suture laceration.
*** Prices verified 11/29/04 from an Albuquerque ER and Urgent Care for straightforward visit (level 2) for pharyngitis.
Doctor On Call is a fee-for-service practice which means the provider is paid for professional services by the patient at the time of service. Our providers will accept cash, a check, or a credit card at the time of service and will provide you with a copy of the medical record and an itemized statement of charges to provide to your insurance company for reimbursement. Doctor on Call does accept most insurances. If you are an established patient of Doctor On Call, you may request to be billed for services.
Question: I don't have a primary care physician, can I still call Doctor On Call?
Answer: Yes, you may call Doctor On Call for any routine general medical problem as well as acute or urgent problems, however, Doctor On Call will encourage you to find and follow up with a primary care provider for routine health care. If you do not have a primary care provider and Doctor On Call determines that you need a referral to a specialist, we will make a referral for you to an appropriate specialist, however, if you have insurance, your insurance company may require that you obtain the referral from a primary care provider. If you are homebound or otherwise have difficulty obtaining transportation to a primary care provider, we may see you routinely, however we will not bill medicare or your insurance company for our services. One of the ways we can offer high quality health care at a very reasonable cost is by keeping our overhead down which includes not having to pay an extravagant mortgage or lease for a big fancy building or several facilities and by minimizing our personnel and administrative costs which are increased tremendously when dealing with third party payors!
Question: What is your service area?
Answer: Currently, we will concentrate our efforts in the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area including, Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas, Belen, and the East Mountains. As we become more successful and build our practice we will continue to add providers and possibly consider expanding our service area to other communities.
Question: I don't have insurance and have a very limited income but would like to use your service. Do you offer discounts or a sliding scale?
Answer: Our primary goal at Doctor On Call is to provide high quality health care at a very reasonable cost in a courteous and compassionate manner. However, we realize that regardless of how low we keep our charges, there will always be those that are burdened by illness as well as financial hardship. Dr. Vigil and all of the providers of Doctor On Call believe very much in providing quality health care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. While we do not have a sliding scale per se, each of our providers may at his or her discretion discount some of the professional and/or procedure charges if the client can demonstrate true financial hardship. Medication treatment charges and supply charges can not be discounted as there is very little mark up for these charges which are required so that we may replenish our stock meds and supplies as they are used. However, if you require medication, our providers will make every attempt to provide you with appropriate samples if available.
Question: I like the convenience that Doctor On Call is trying to offer, however, I feel more comfortable being seen in the traditional doctor's office. Could I be seen in your office?
Answer: Yes, our emphasis at Doctor On Call is being affordable and accessible to our patients. You may come in to our office to be seen as a walk-in patient or by appointment from 8am to 8pm Monday through Saturday and 12 noon to 6pm Sunday and you may also be seen after hours in the office with arrangement by the on call provider after hours. Our fee for an urgent problem seen in the clinic is 30.00 less than a mobile visit (please see our clinic address below).
Question: I have a business in Albuquerque and notice that you Doctor On Call provides "medical support services" for businesses. What is that?
Answer: Doctor On Call can help your business, big or small, by improving the productivity of your employees by providing direct health care at the work site for minor illnesses and injuries thus returning the employee to work in a minimum amount of time and at a minimal cost. We can also increase productivity by providing health related seminars and presentations related to work place safety and health prevention to your employees to minimize work place injuries and absenteeism secondary to preventable illnesses. Doctor On Call may also provide health care professionals to perform employment physicals for your executives and employees. Doctor On Call also contracts with area businesses to provide discounted services to their employees.
Question: I am a health care professional and am interested in joining a practice like Doctor On Call?
Answer: Doctor On Call is actively recruiting health care professionals, including providers (physicians, CNPs, and PAs), nurses, and allied health professionals (clinical dieticians, pharmacists, and therapists) as well as alternative practitioners (chiropractic physicians, massage therapists, and others) that are highly motivated and that share our goal and philosophy of providing high quality and comprehensive health care to our clients at their convenience, at a reasonable cost, and with genuine care and compassion. If you share these goals and want to be part of a new, exciting, and revolutionary model in health care delivery, contact us at:
Doctor On Call
10700 Menaul NE, Suite C
Albuquerque, NM 87112
1 505 323-8911 or 1 866 900-8911
or email your CV or resume to:
jrvigil@doctoroncall.cc or drjvigil@aol.com
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a person in everlasting ignorance--that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
Herbert Spencer
