Frequently Asked Questions

Bring your forms to our office at least one week in advance of the date that you need them back. Please remember to fill in your portion before turning them in to us. A member of our staff will fill them out and then call you when they are ready to pick up. There is a $25 charge for filling out forms, payable at pick-up.

In cases where you are unable to accompany your child to an appointment, you may fill out a Consent for Treatment of a Minor form and turn it into our office prior to or at the time of the appointment. The form can be completed authorizing only one visit or for several visits in a specified period of time. The form can be obtained from our office or printed out online and faxed to us. Please confirm that we have received the form before sending your minor child to their appointment unaccompanied. If we do not have the form on file, your child may not get seen.

MaxHealth providers are not licensed to treat for worker’s comp injuries and will be unable to see you for them. If you believe you have been hurt at work, you should contact your employer for further instruction.

Even though you do not have any refills left, you can submit the refill request to your pharmacy and they will contact us or you may request a refill online by clicking the link to the left (you will need to sign up for an account if you don't have one already). Please note that if you have not kept up with your follow-up appointments, your request for a refill may be denied until you have seen your provider.

If you have been in for an office visit with your provider recently for follow-up and refills for that particular medicine, you need only call our office and we can prepare a 90 day prescription for you to pick up. However, if you have not been seen recently for a follow-up for the ailment necessitating the prescription, you will need to make an appointment. For example, if you were seen last month for bronchitis, and now you need a 90 day prescription for your blood pressure medication, you would need to come back into the office for a follow-up before the 90 day prescription for the blood pressure medication could be issued.

See our handout regarding fees by clicking on Patient Forms

First, you would need to make sure your husband is listed on your HIPAA form as someone that our office can release information to. Then you need to call our office ahead of time and make arrangements for a copy of the labs to be printed and prepared for pick-up. When your husband comes in, he just needs to give the receptionist his name, your name and what he is picking up. Also keep in mind that your husband maybe required to present a photo ID to verify who he is.

You should first call the lab to make sure they have your correct insurance information and to find out why they are billing you. It may be that you have a deductible which your charges were applied to and that you are responsible for. Occasionally, a test may not be covered by your insurance and you will then be billed by the lab. If calling the lab does not resolve your problem, call our office and speak with our lab supervisor.

Yes, since new labwork has been ordered, which generates an additional and separate visit to our office, you will be responsible for another copay.

You will need to give us at least 24 hours advance notice of what x-rays you need so that we have time to prepare the records for pick-up. Since MaxHealth x-rays are digital, we do not have traditional hard copy “films”. A staff member will need to pull your record and copy the needed x-ray images onto a CD. The CD will then be put at the front desk for you to pick up and take to your appointment.

We work very hard to have same day turn around on most prescription refill requests, but in some circumstances it can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.

Medications that are prescribed and taken for chronic medical conditions, e.g., hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, etc., require periodic refills.  The proper management of most chronic medical conditions requires follow-up clinic visits every six months, at minimum, or more frequently if not well controlled.  Such clinic follow-up, prior to refilling the medication, is very important to determine the status of the medical condition, to monitor for disease complications, and to assess the effectiveness of prescribed medication and treatment.  Prescription medications can also cause side effects, some of which may not be apparent to the patient, and may even require lab tests for detection.  Typically your provider will prescribe adequate medication refills to last you until your next scheduled office visit. If you are on your last refill you should contact our office to schedule an appointment at least 15 days prior to running out of your medication. Also, let your provider know of any changes in your health, diet, lifestyle, and medications (including over-the-counter medications and supplements), as these may affect your condition and appropriate treatment.

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections.  Many infectious diseases, such as colds, sore throats or flu, are caused by viruses, against which antibiotics are useless.  Different antibiotics are indicated for the treatment of different types of infections.  The prescription of antibiotics without an appropriate examination and diagnosis may result in the needless use of antibiotics or use of the wrong antibiotic, and may delay proper treatment and even result in worsening of the illness.  Unnecessary use of antibiotics can cause bacteria to become resistant and to fail to respond to antibiotics.  Using antibiotics when you don’t need them can mean that when you do need them, they won’t help you.  Widespread antibiotic resistance causes infections to be harder to cure and results in the need for more powerful, more expensive drugs to treat infections.  Although a clinic visit may sometimes be inconvenient, the proper use of antibiotics is ultimately better for your health and the community.

Most insurance companies require a copayment for medical services. Basically you are responsible for a portion of the payment for your medical treatment.  Copayments help to reduce your insurance premiums, and also encourage responsible use of medical care.  If your insurance plan requires a copay, it must be collected every time you receive medical treatment. The copay amount is determined by the insurance plan that you have chosen to purchase. Each medical facility that is covered by your insurance plan is required, by contract, to collect the required copay at the time of the visit. The copay cannot be waived for any reason or that facility would be violating their contract, and could lose their ability to treat patients under that insurance plan.

Children should have a well child exam typically once per year until they are 18 years old. It is important to check with your insurance to confirm your benefits prior to scheduling. Most insurances cover an annual Well Child Visit.

Healthy adults should have a physical once per year. It is important to check with your insurance to confirm your benefits prior to scheduling. Most insurances cover an annual physical.

Healthy women over the age of 18 should have a Well Woman exam once per year. It is important to check with your insurance to confirm your benefits prior to scheduling. Most insurances cover an annual Well Woman exam.

A PA is a medical practitioner who has obtained graduate-level education in a medical school environment, most often holding a master’s degree. PAs are licensed by the Texas Physician Assistant Board, to examine, diagnose and treat patients under the supervision/review of designated, licensed physicians. PAs are trained as generalists, but may practice various medical specialties, based upon additional training or experience.

A NP is a registered nurse who has obtained graduate-level education (most often a master’s degree) in a school of nursing. NPs are licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing, in a specific specialty area, e.g., family health, adult health, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, etc. NPs may examine, counsel and educate patients regarding health issues and, as delegated by a licensed physician, diagnose and treat patients and prescribe medications.

A mid-level practitioner is a licensed practitioner who performs duties and tasks traditionally performed by a physician. Examples of mid-level practitioners include physician assistants (PAs) and advanced practice nurses, e.g., nurse practitioners (NPs) and certified nurse midwives (CNMs).

Mid-level practitioners are qualified by training and appropriate experience to perform many of the duties and tasks traditionally performed by physicians. This may include examining, diagnosing, treating, counseling and educating patients, and prescribing medications (as delegated by a licensed physician). Mid-level practitioners may work in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics, hospitals, health centers, or industry-based clinics. Physician assistants normally practice in collaboration with licensed physicians and perform duties as detailed by the Texas Medical Board Rules and Texas Occupations Code, and as delegated by the supervising physician. Under the Texas Nursing Practice Act, nurse practitioners may practice independently of physicians while performing “nursing aspects of care”. When performing “medical aspects of care” and prescribing medications, nurse practitioners do so under protocols or other written authorization agreed upon by the nurse practitioner and the delegating physician. Both PAs and NPs may perform physical examinations; evaluate and treat acute and chronic illnesses; evaluate and treat injuries; order lab tests, x-ray/imaging studies, and other diagnostic studies; prescribe/administer medications; and perform minor surgical procedures, based upon their training and expertise and under delegated authority by physicians. Neither PAs nor advanced practice nurses may independently practice medicine.

Responses from the online patient portal come via email. Security is our number priority so emails will simply point you to the online patient portal to read any messages or responses. You will, from time to time, receive a call along with any message or response. This will only happen if it is necessary to confirm something in a timely manner (such as a same day appointment request). We strive to respond to any online requests in 15 minutes or less during business hours, although this is not always possible or practical.