FAQs
There are two ways to pay for your care at our clinic.
- Self-Pay Program: Whether you are uninsured or underinsured, you can pay us an affordable monthly fee directly. You will be billed for the previous month's enrollment fee at the beginning of each month.
- Through your insurance carrier: We take all Medicare plans, except Community Health Plan of Washington and we take most private insurers. See a complete list of Swedish accepted insurers
Yes. We want you to feel totally comfortable with your physician. Our provider staff consists of family medicine faculty and resident physicians. You will see your personal provider whenever possible. If you require urgent care and your provider is not available, another provider will see you. All of our provider will have access to your medical records. You are welcome to change provider within our clinic if you wish.
If you would like to talk to a member of your health care team, please call us at 206-297-5100 during clinic hours. Your call will be answered promptly by a staff member and directed appropriately for accurate response to your questions/concerns. After hours, you may call and leave a voice message for any non-urgent needs (e.g., appointment requests, prescription refills.) All voice messages will be returned by the next working day by someone on your health care team. For urgent questions after hours, you will be connected to the hospital operator who will get you in touch with an on-call physician.
You can also e-mail your health care team directly at any time to ask clinical questions, request prescription refills and discuss test results through MyChart. You can expect a response to your requests within three (3) business days. Please do not send urgent requests through MyChart - call our office directly at 206-297-5100 and speak to a staff member.
Yes. Our patient privacy policy states that you are entitled to access and may receive a copy of your medical record at any time. You can have access through MyChart, or you can complete a release of information in our office and have your records sent directly to you within 7-10 business days.
If you suspect a life threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. If you have an urgent, non-life threatening condition - a minor cut, infection or acute illness - call our office to speak with a member of our health care team. If you do not need emergency care, we will see you in the clinic at the earliest opportunity.
Please note that the monthly Self Pay fee does not cover the costs of ambulance transportation, emergency room care, hospital services or follow-up specialty care.
Please review your insurance plan so you'll know ahead of time which costs are covered. If you do not have insurance, we encourage you to obtain catastrophic insurance to cover such emergencies.
If you need hospital care, we will arrange for your admission to Swedish First Hill, Cherry Hill or Ballard campus, or to another appropriate facility. Your physician will communicate closely with the hospital team responsible for your care and may even be a member of that team. Having your medical record already at Swedish will help facilitate your care. If you are admitted to a hospital other than Swedish, your Swedish Family Medicine - Ballard physician may not be able to directly coordinate your care. However, we will try to be in contact with the physician caring for you, to help guide and stay involved in your hospital care. Upon your discharge from the hospital, we will help you manage your follow-up care.
We encourage our patients to come in whenever they are experiencing a health care situation. However, if your healthcare situation requires a home visit, as determined by you and your provider, it can be arranged.
At times, you or your physician may feel that you could benefit from specialty consultations. In these cases, we will refer you to an appropriate specialist and work closely with him or her to provide your ongoing care. While we know Swedish specialists best, our goal is to find the best possible specialist for you, no matter where he or she practices. Any specialty care will be billed separately and you or your insurance will be responsible for covering the cost.
Yes. All of our providers provide women's health care, including annual exams, contraceptive counseling, IUD placement/removal and pregnancy care. However, we understand that many women value the long-term relationships they have with their gynecologists and may wish to continue their care there. You or your insurance will be billed separately by your gynecologist.