Office Policies at El Camino Women’s Medical Group
Our primary concerns are your health and well-being. In order to serve you better, we have the following office policies. Some of these policies are required by law, while others are for your health and protection. For any questions, please call us at (650) 396-8110 or send an email to moc.n1685281412emowo1685281412nimac1685281412le@of1685281412ni1685281412. We sincerely appreciate your attention and cooperation.
COVID-19 Visitor Policies (updated April 27, 2023)
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot in the last 12 months. The official state of emergency in California ended on February 28th, 2023. As of April 3rd, 2023, masking is no longer required by state and county public health departments. During the last month, California has not seen an increase in infections or severe disease from COVID-19. Given this reassuring information, we will no longer require masking in our office, though masks are available at the main entrace of Sobrato Pavilion and at our front desk. Also, we continue to encourage only one visitor with you at appointments. Visitors must be asymptomatic.
Appointment Fees
We always do our utmost to accommodate patients’ needs when scheduling and rearranging appointments. Given how many patients are waiting for appointments, we request a full business day’s advance notice, and a minimum of 24 hours notice, for any appointment schedule changes to allow us to offer another patient that time slot. If you have rescheduled or canceled your appointment with less than one full business day’s notice (24-hour minimum) or have failed to show up for appointments without notice, we do make note of it. Since 2015, we have had a $100 late reschedule or no-show fee. It has been or practice for eight years to charge this fee unless there were significant circumstances justfiying the failure to notify us in advance. However, starting May 15, 2023, we will charge a $45 fee. Your insurance will not cover this fee. Starting May 15, 2023, these fees will not be waived for any reason as these appointment spots are in high demand for other patients.
For psychiatric appointments, fees are in accordance with your psychiatry-specific consent and range from $175 to $300.
New Patients
We always welcome new patients at El Camino Women’s Medical Group! To provide our patients with excellent care throughout most stages of their life, we offer healthcare services for all women age 18 and older. While we also provide care for young women with gynecologic issues, we do not see women under 18 for routine examinations. These patients are best served by their pediatricians.
We do accept most transfers of care during pregnancy. However, if you have reached the 26th week or later of your pregnancy, we require screening prior to your first appointment. Please call (650) 396-8110 or email moc.n1685281412emowo1685281412nimac1685281412le@of1685281412ni1685281412 to discuss this process.
Please check with your insurance plan to ensure that El Camino Women’s Medical Group is in-network with your insurance. Our office’s insurance contracts are legally registered with Doctor Azad, Medical Corporation dba El Camino Women’s Medical Group, so you can ask under both names. If you have trouble finding out whether we are part of your plan, please feel free to contact us directly with your insurance information, and we may be able to help you.
Before your first appointment, please download and fill out office registration forms here. You may also fill out forms in the office, but please allow an extra 30 minutes before your appointment. We may have to reschedule your appointment if you are a new patient and arrive 15 minutes late or if you show up on time without completing your paperwork.
Appointments
Please call ahead for appointments and give us a brief idea of your problem so we can schedule appropriately. You can also book appointments online. We greatly appreciate your prompt arrival for your appointment, and please remember to allow adequate time for traffic and parking.
Forms and Letter Fees
There is a $30 fee for each document or letter on behalf of our patients. However, work or school notes on our standard office form have no fee. We also charge no fee to send your medical records to another physician or coordinate medical care.
However, most requested documents and letters are not for medical care but rather for items like disability insurance, FMLA, immigration, work-related information, etc. Since these services are not medically-related, medical insurance does not cover them. Because of the healthcare situation in the US, we cannot provide these services without charging a fee.
Urgent Issues/Emergencies
It is always best to call the office during office hours if you have an urgent problem or concern. We do schedule same-day visits for urgent problems. If you have an urgent problem or if you become ill after hours or on holidays or weekends, please call our main office number and listen to directions for paging the doctor on call.
Prescription Refills
Please contact your pharmacy first for prescription refills, and ask them to send an electronic refill request or fax a request to 650-336-7359.
Privacy Policy
Our policy is that all our physicians and staff preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our patient’s protected health information (PHI). This policy aims to ensure that our practice and its physicians and staff have the necessary medical and PHI to provide the highest quality medical care possible while protecting the confidentiality of our patient’s PHI to the highest degree possible. Patients should feel confident in providing information to our practice and its physicians and staff for purposes of treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO).
Our Privacy Policy describes how our practice and its physicians and staff will accomplish this.
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section
We offer patients with previous cesareans a trial of labor, known as trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) or vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).
Starting January 21, 2015, El Camino Hospital began an OB hospitalist program. There is now an obstetrician on Labor and Delivery 24 hours a day. Our practice physicians, Drs. Azad, Balassiano, Gupta, and Teng, are still on-call for all deliveries, including VBACs. Additionally, the OB hospitalist is present on-site. If you are interested in a VBAC or TOLAC, please discuss this with your doctor at your next visit to our practice.
Red Flag Rules
Effective August 1, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires businesses, including physician practices, to implement identity theft prevention measures. Identity verification will be required at the time patients are checked into the office. Patients will need to present a photo identification to be registered.
We understand that forms and paperwork are increasingly burdensome in modern life. However, we are required to adhere to state and federal regulations to continue serving our patients. Thank you very much for your understanding.