Healthcare FAQ
FAQs
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What are your hours?
We are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. -
What insurance do you accept?
None. We work directly for our patients. As a result, we do not contract with insurance companies. This means access to affordable quality healthcare with upfront pricing.
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What if I am uninsured?
We believe everyone should have insurance. If you cannot afford coverage, we may be the doctors for you. Since we do not contract with insurance companies, we can charge 50-70% less than other medical clinics.
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Does your practice model save patients money?
It depends. If you are lucky enough to have a $20 co-pay and are satisfied with your medical visits, we may not be the doctor's office for you.
But consider: How much is coming out of your paycheck from your employer to give you insurance "coverage"? How much do you end up paying weeks later with 2nd or 3rd bills?
Palmetto Proactive Healthcare is an alternative that offers quality healthcare at lower costs and 100% upfront pricing.
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How about health savings accounts (HSAs)?
We believe everyone should have insurance. A HSA is a great way to have catastrophic coverage as well as provide tax-free health savings.
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What if I have chronic medical problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes and/or high cholesterol?
Please visit us. At Palmetto Proactive Healthcare, we know that if we work hard to control these chronic medical problems, we can provide you with a comfortable, healthy life. If you are worried about the costs, please come anyway and talk to one of the doctors. You may be pleasantly surprised.
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How do you keep prices low and transparent?
It is a long and complicated story using insurance industry words like charges, CPT codes, reimbursement, etc.
If you are not interested in all of the complexities, just know that we can set fair prices for everyone by not contracting with insurance companies. We remove the middle man and keep costs and communications between the doctor and the patient, as it should be.
Once again, we believe that everyone should have catastrophic coverage.
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Do you have lab and x-ray capabilities?
Yes. We have x-ray capabilities at our Spartanburg, Greenville and Columbia locations. We have the same capabilities as most primary care offices and urgent care facilities.
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Do you take appointments?
Yes. We would be happy to schedule your visit. In fact, when managing chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, we need to see you on a regular basis.
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Do you see children or provide immunizations?
Yes. We see patients of all ages over 12 months but do not perform routine required immunizations for patients under 5 years of age.
We believe in immunizations, but at this time, storage and administration is a costly process. The local Health Department has streamlined this process. We encourage patients to visit them for routine vaccines. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control website
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How do you handle medication refills?
Refills of medications are handled during normal business hours. Please allow 2-3 business days for these requests to be processed.
If you are taking long-term medications for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol or more, an examination may be needed to verify that your medications are working and there are no unusual side effects.
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Do you provide physical and sports exams?
Yes. We are happy to offer employer and sports physicals and fill out the appropriate forms as required.
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What if I need to be referred to a specialist?
If the need arises for a referral to a specialist, we will be happy to arrange that referral.
As your doctor at Palmetto Proactive Healthcare, we will be your advocate and work with the specialist's office regarding your care.
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Do you perform minor surgical procedures?
Yes. We perform most skin procedures such as biopsies, laceration repairs, abscess drainage, ingrown toenail removal and much more. If the condition requires more care than can be provided at our office, we will refer you appropriately to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon.
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What if I need to be admitted to the hospital?
At Palmetto Proactive Healthcare, our goal is to keep you out of the hospital.
If your care requires hospitalization, we have made arrangements with area hospitals to provide your inpatient care. We will be in direct communication with them before, during, and after your hospitalization and will be able to continue your outpatient care upon release.
Although our training includes managing patients in the hospital, our focus is out-patient clinical medicine. Your care in the hospital will be handled by board-certified specialists in hospital medicine.
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Do you manage chronic pain?
No. Chronic pain is a very common and understandably frustrating medical problem. It is best treated by specialists who are trained specifically in this area of medicine. We do not treat chronic pain but are more than happy to help arrange a referral to a pain management specialist.
We do manage acute injuries, aches and pains.
We do not have controlled pain medicines in the clinic and prescribe all medications electronically.