POLICIES

Policies: FAQ

COVID-19 POLICIES

Now that a high percentage of adults in our patient families are vaccinated against Covid-19, 2 parents are welcome to join well visits and conferences in person. Please wear masks (as always in our offices, per CDC guidance about medical settings) and please do not have sick adults join these visits. For sick visits we would continue to prefer just one parent accompany the patient if possible. Thank you for your understanding as we adjust to changing circumstances. We are proud of having kept our offices open throughout the pandemic and of having had NO transmission of Covid-19 between/to patients or staff in our offices.

SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS

Please call our office at 703-569-8400 to schedule an appointment between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on weekdays. You can also schedule appointments through our online portal. Please try to schedule routine physical examinations 2 months in advance. If you would like the provider to address a particular concern, please let the scheduler know, so that an appropriate amount of time may be allotted.
Virginia Pediatric and Adolescent Center is happy to announce that we have a new appointment confirmation system effective June 15, 2020. PLEASE make sure we have good contact information (especially e-mail and cell phone number) for you.
Here's how it works:
1) If you have an e-mail address on file with us, you will receive an e-mail appointment reminder several days before your appointment. Follow the directions to confirm the appointment, and then you're done and will not receive a phone call.
2) If we do not have an e-mail on file for you, or if we do not receive the response per instructions, an automated voice call will go to your listed primary phone number on record with us. Listen to the prompts and respond, and you will be all set.
3) If we do not receive an e-mail or phone response from you, you will receive a text message to the number we have on file for you. Please follow the directions to reply.
The above steps will stop if you confirm or cancel the appointment. You can opt out of any of these modes of confirmation. If you opt out of all three modes of communication, you will not receive any appointment reminders from our office.
All confirmed appointments will receive a courtesy reminder text the night before (for next-morning appointments) or the morning of the appointment day (for afternoon appointments). If you have any questions, if you would like to update your contact information with us, or if you would like to schedule an upcoming appointment, please call our office at 703-569-8400.

CANCELLATIONS

If you are unable to keep your appointment, please give notice at least 24 hours before your appointment time. Otherwise, a $75 charge will be made for the time reserved.

AFTER HOURS

We have a pediatrician able to address your urgent concerns at any time that our office is closed. There will be a $15 charge for this after-hours service. Please click here for more information.

HEALTH FORMS

We receive an amazing number of health forms required for your children. Please give your forms to our front desk staff with your child's demographic information completed. We will call you when the forms are completed, typically within 10 business days. There will be a $15 charge to cover administrative costs. Summer is our busiest season for forms. We appreciate your patience!

PRESCRIPTION REFILLS

How to Request a Prescription Refill:

· Access our secure website at www.virginiapeds.com

· Upon accessing for first time, please go to "Create An Account".

· Go to "Prescription Renewals" for prescription refill requests and follow instructions

Processing of Refill Requests:

· Please allow three (3) working days

· We require periodic conferences for management of chronic issues in order to adequately monitor the conditions and possible adverse effects of medication. In order to continue to refill prescriptions, patients are required to have conferences every 3 months for ADHD and every 6 months for Asthma, Allergies, and Acne.

Cost:

· There will be a $8 charge for each prescription refill to cover time and administrative costs

REFERRALS

Some insurance plans require a referral from our office before your child is able to see a specialist or receive other medical services outside of our office. Please call our office at 703-569-8400 and follow the prompts to obtain your referral.

MEDICAL RECORDS

To request medical records from Virginia Pediatric and Adolescent Center, please complete this form and fax, mail, or drop off the form to our office.

ADOLESCENT CONFIDENTIALITY

We are happy to provide care for our patients through the college years. Our goal is to help our adolescent and young adult patients become more knowledgeable about their health and encourage their independence and responsibility.

There may be circumstances in which our patients may wish to discuss information that they would like to remain confidential. Our policy is to honor this confidentiality, as long as it is not life-threatening to themselves or others. We always encourage our patients to have open and honest relationships with their families, but we also recognize that our patients may need a safe place to discuss a health concern.

When our patients turn 18 years old, they are considered adults, and we will require their consent to discuss any information about their healthcare with their parents. We ask our 18+ patients to sign this consent form to authorize release of their growth charts, vaccine records, and routine labs to their parents.

CO-PAYS WITH WELLNESS VISITS

A preventative care visit or "Wellness Check" includes a routine physical exam, immunizations, and other services that have been delineated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. For the majority of health plans, insurance providers are not able to charge a co-pay for preventative services.

At Virginia Pediatric and Adolescent Center, we strive to address all of our patients' concerns and thoroughly investigate and treat issues that may arise. When our patients are seen for preventative care visits, families should expect that both preventative care and acute or chronic issues may be addressed at the same visit.

Please be aware that if symptoms of acute or chronic diseases are discussed at a preventative care visit, it is considered "diagnostic," and your insurance may require Virginia Pediatric and Adolescent Center to charge a copay for that visit. The decision of a co-payment for a visit is based on federal laws and insurance regulations -- it is not decided by Virginia Pediatric and Adolescent Center.

VACCINES

Please see our vaccine policy.