To our Medicare Beneficiaries,
Medicare Open Enrollment period is October 15 – December 7, 2020. This eight-week period is to give you ample time to compare and evaluate your current Medicare plan to other Medicare plans to find a plan that best suits your needs. Medicare plans and pricing change from year to year.An important resource for understanding basic Medicare (Part A & B), Medicare Advantage plans (Part C), Medicare Drug plans (Part D), and Medicare Supplement Plans is the NC Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP). SHIIP is a division of the North Carolina Department of Insurance that offers free and unbiased information. Call 1-855-408-1212 for one-on-one assistance or visit www.ncshiip.com or www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan.
NCDOI Insurance Commissioner reminder
SHIIP Medicare basics
Road to Medicare
Basics of Medicare
Medicare Advantage- Medicare Health Plans (Part C)
NCDOI Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D)
Family Medical Associates of Raleigh (FMAR) List of Insurance
Dear Patients of Family Medical Associates of Raleigh,
Your health and well-being are important to us.
Due to the need to maintain social distancing and to protect both you and our staff, we ask that you call us from your car when you arrive for your visit at 919-875-8150. One of our Patient Access Representatives will check you in over the phone. We also ask that you wait in your car and someone will call you when we are ready to bring you back to the exam room or to the lab. Remember to wear your mask and always maintain at least a 6 foot distance from your neighbor.
Meeting your health care needs remains our top priority. The Coronavirus crisis has not changed our commitment to you. We continue to follow the highest standards of patient-centered care that is based on clinical expertise and the best research recommendations for your care related to your specific health needs. We will notify you when it is time for a follow up
visit for care just like we always have done.
What has changed is how we may provide that care for you. Your safety and the safety of our staff is also a top priority. The Coronavirus changed the steps we take to ensure that safety. We have followed the recommendations of public health experts and began offering Telehealth visits to our patients over the past few weeks. A Telehealth visit is usually face to face and can be done using your computer, smartphone or similar device. Your insurance company is encouraging Telehealth visits as a means to continue to provide you the care you need while keeping you and others safe. Most insurance companies are covering these visits just like your office visits. Feedback from our patients who have participated in these visits has been very positive.
Not every issue can be addressed over a Telehealth visit and we recognize that some of you may still need to be seen in person. At the present time we do provide office visits for routine care, injuries (such as a sprain or a laceration), and acute health issues. If you are thinking about going to Urgent Care, please call our office first. If you are sick at the time you are scheduled for a routine office visit or calling for an appointment because you are sick, please call our office so that you can be screened by a provider and so that the most appropriate plan of care can be determined.
Telehealth Visits - We are now offering telehealth visits with our providers using your computer, smartphone or similar device starting on Monday 3/23/2020. You will be connected to a secure video channel with your provider to discuss your needs and plan of care. Insurance companies and infectious disease experts are encouraging these visits as an alternative for patients who are unable to come to the office and many insurance plans are covering telehealth visits the same as a regular office visit would be
covered. Call our office at 919-875-8150 to schedule your visit!
Office Visits for Well Patients – We continue to offer routine office visits to care for our patients for follow ups on health issues, physical exams, etc. These visits are through our main entrance, lobby, and exam rooms. No patients with sick symptoms are seen in these areas. Any patients who call in with symptoms are screened over the phone by a provider and are not exposed to these areas of our clinic. We are not allowing any walk-in appointments at this time.
Phone Pre-Visit Screenings for Sick Patients – Our providers are evaluating and talking with every patient calling in with symptoms of respiratory illness. This phone visit will assess your needs and help us decide the best plan of care for you. This may be scheduling a visit or referring you to an outside testing center. Please note - we are currently unable to perform COVID-19 lab tests due to limited supplies. We encourage patients who are feeling sick to call our office to be screened. This phone visit
will assess your needs and help us decide the best plan of care for you.
Acute Care Clinic – All patients who have symptoms of respiratory illness are being addressed through our Acute Care Clinic. The provider will collect a history of illness over the phone and may perform a brief exam and testing without you having to leave your car. If you need to be examined more thoroughly, we will give you a mask and escort you directly into the exam room through a separate entrance, in a completely separate part of the building. These steps help reduce any contact with other patients or our staff. We follow CDC cleaning and disinfection recommendations for surfaces, equipment, and rooms used in the service after each patient visit.
We have a dedicated and trained staff who are following strict protocols and CDC and state guidelines to prevent disease transmission. We are continuing to monitor information from the CDC, NC Department of Health and Human Services, and other healthcare experts’ multiple times a day to update our protocols to provide the best care and safety to you, our patients, and our staff.
We understand that this is a difficult time for all of us, and we are committed to providing the high-quality care that you expect to receive. We look forward to seeing you at your next visit.
Sincerely,
The Staff and Providers of Family Medical Associates of Raleigh
Medicare is now encouraging patients to get their Annual Wellness Exams as a telehealth visit. A telehealth visit is done from the comfort of your home by computer or phone. The Annual Wellness lends itself easily to the telehealth visit because no physical exam is needed and it is a way to keep you safe. These exams are preventive screening exams to identify your risk for health issues and to help you develop a plan to decrease those risks. It is an opportunity to update your medical history, your family history, your medication list, your immunizations, your screening tests like colorectal cancer screening, and your other care providers. We will ask you to provide your height, your weight, and your blood pressure. And there is no cost sharing for these visits – no copay or deductible for the screening visit. If problems are identified that need further evaluation you can be scheduled for a follow up at a later date in our office.
You should have received a letter from us that further explains this benefit to you. Your provider will be having their support staff call you in the coming weeks to get you on our schedule. When your appointment is scheduled, we will send you two forms to fill out – a health risk assessment and a depression screening tool. Both of these are required by Medicare. We have also uploaded other important documents and patient education tools to our website. Just click this link Medicare Wellness Exams to learn more. And if you have questions please feel free to send us a portal message or call us at 919-875-8150. You may also learn more about Medicare Annual Wellness Visits at https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/yearly-wellness-visits.
Advanced Care Planning
Tobacco Counseling
Choosing Wisely Lung Cancer Screening Information
Falls Risk Checklist
Medicare Wellness Checkup
PHQ9 Depression Screening Tool
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Prostate Cancer Screening
Shingles Shot General Information
Immunizations
Download full PDF of Use of Cloth Face Coverings
Download full PDF of Cloth Face Coverings: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has partnered with the North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) network to launch a hotline to provide child care options for children of critical workers who do not have access to typical care because of COVID-19 closures.
Read more
We know you may have many questions about the COVID-19 vaccine - here are the top 3 things to know right now:
1) Our goal is to vaccinate you and all our patients as soon as you are eligible. We will contact you as soon as we have more info about who is eligible, when you can schedule, and where vaccines will be given. At this time, we do not have any COVID-19 vaccine at our office. We will continue to send updates via email and our website as we learn more.
2) Health care workers, essential workers and high-risk patients will be eligible for the vaccine first, since there will be a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines available initially. Then, other adults will be eligible. Finally, children will be eligible – early clinical trials did not include kids, so the vaccine will be made available to children when it is shown to be safe and effective.
3) The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is a top priority, and there are many reasons to get vaccinated including protecting you and your loved ones from getting COVID-19.
There is no need to contact our office to schedule a vaccine appointment at this time. We will send updates as we receive information and look forward to seeing you soon!
Warm regards,
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Still have questions? Visit CDC's Frequently Asked Questions About Vaccination
Not sure if you're high-risk or an essential worker? Learn more about who will be eligible for the vaccine first from CDC
For information regarding this topic visit The National Institute of Mental Heath website. The NIMH page is a great educational resource where you can find information regarding research and funding, current news related to mental health, outreach opportunities, and more! If you have questions or feel that you may be suffering from a mental health disorder, contact your doctor today!
For more information on migraine management visit the National Headache Foundation's website atwww.headache.org. On the website you can find great information on how to have fewer, shorter and more tolerable headaches. You can also donate to their cause and learn about their upcoming events.
Don't forget to attend our FREE educational discussion on migraine management on Wednesday, June 20th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. The discussion will be led by a Neurologist by the name of Mitch Freedman, MD. It will be held in the lobby of our family medical practice located at 3500 Bush Street in Raleigh. We hope to see you there!
Shots can prevent infectious diseases like measles, diphtheria, and rubella. But people in the U.S. still die from these and other vaccine-preventable diseases. It's important to know which shots you need and when to get them.
Are you unsure about what immunizations you or your children should be up to date on? Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for age specific information about vaccines and immunizations.
American Academy of Pediatrics
www.aap.org
National Council on Patient Information and Education
www.talkaboutrx.org
National Institutes of Health
nih.org
Centers for Disease Control and Infection
www.cdc.gov
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org
American Diabetes Association
www.diabetes.org
American Heart Association
www.heart.org
American Academy of Family Physicians
www.familydoctor.org
FMAR conducts patient satisfaction surveys twice a year. These comprehensive surveys address everything from appointment availability to how well our staff takes care of patients. We survey 350+ patients to ensure we are hearing all our patients’ voices. Some results from the most recent survey show what we suspected and are thrilled about -we have fabulous patients who love us!
93% Would refer family and friends to us
97% Agree that our front desk staff are friendly and helpful
98% Agree that our clinical staff is friendly and helpful
99% Agree that their healthcare provider spent enough time with them
96% Agree that they can get a routine check-up appointment within a reasonable time
90% Agree that they can get a same day appointment when they want one.
99% Agree that their provider gives them good advice and treatment
We continue to work on ways to improve your experience at Family Medical Associates.Your feedback is welcome. Please let us if any suggestions for improving our performance.
