Office Hours & Appointments

Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. As we often reduce our afternoon hours in the summer due to a decreased patient load, we would advise that you call first, before coming in, so that we can offer you an appropriate appointment.

Same day and next day appointments are available for most illnesses. While walk-ins are usually able to be seen, and emergencies do happen, we would greatly appreciate a phone call prior to your arrival in order that we might meet your needs more promptly and adjust our scheduled patients if necessary.

If you are a new patient, please arrive 10 or 15 minutes before your appointment to complete the necessary registration information (or download and fill out our Patient Information Form here). We also ask that you bring your insurance card with you to each visit and notify us of any changes in your address, phone number, and/or insurance information.

In order to assist your physician, new patients and patients with new prescriptions from other doctors are asked to bring all medications to their office visit.

If your problem is a medical emergency that cannot wait, please go to the nearest physician-staffed emergency room or call 911 for an EMS response.

Patient Information Form (320 kb)

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Cancellations

Please call if you are unable to keep your appointment, or if you are going to be late. If you are late, you may be asked to reschedule. This will allow us to be of service to other patients. We ask that you notify us of a cancellation 24 hours in advance; if we do not receive this notice, your account may be charged a co-pay.

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Prescription Refill

If you have any questions concerning your condition, treatment, or medications, please call your physician’s office. If you need a medication refill, call your pharmacy. There may be a 24-hour turnaround time on your prescription refill.

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Telephone Advice

While many minor issues may be dealt with over the phone, our staff has been advised to encourage an office visit for any new health problems or exacerbations of chronic ones. Also, if we haven't seen you for awhile, it is in your best interest to come in and be re-evaluated. The present liability climate unfortunately discourages telephone medicine.

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Payment for Services

All co-pays are due before seeing your physician. All other payments for other services are expected at the time of service unless prior arrangements have been made. If you have any questions, please contact our office manager at (512) 376-5247 ext. 205.

We would be glad to provide you with a paid receipt which contains all the necessary information needed by your insurance company.

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Referrals

Most managed care plans require a referral from your primary care physician before making an appointment with a specialty care provider. Referral authorizations may take up to five business days to process, so please contact our offices as soon as the need for a referral arises.

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Your Privacy

Your medical records and those of your family members are safe with Lockhart Family Medicine. This practice has a long-standing policy that maintains the confidentiality of the personal data necessary to administer to insurance companies and to provide service.

Please be aware that we are not able to disclose any information contained in your medical record without a signed authorization. If you choose to authorize your spouse or family member to obtain medical information about yourself, please request a release of information from our front desk. No information will be released unless we have a signed authorization on file.

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Insurance Plans

Our office deals with hundreds of different insurance plans all with their own rules, regulations, and formularies for medications. Please understand that it is your responsibility to know and understand exactly what your plan covers and doesn't cover. It is impossible for us to be fully aware of all the subtleties and nuances of these ever-changing policies. We will make every attempt to work within the confines of your insurance network and our expert staff will happily review any denied claims that you have. However, if your coverage was not valid at the time of your visit; the services rendered were not a covered benefit; or if you have not yet met your deductible, you will be personally responsible for the charges.

Many insurance plans change the medications that they pay for simply due to financial reasons. As we are the ones who are responsible for your health care, no change in therapy or medication will be made or authorized without an office visit. All medications are not necessarily the same or appropriate for your individual condition.

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Medical Records / Completion of Forms

There is a minimum $25 processing fee per request for a copy of your medical records. Once that has been received, your records will be copied and sent to the address you provided.

You must make an appointment to have any type of form filled out. A minimum fee of $15 will be charged and this could change based on the amount of office time it takes to complete. In most cases, this is not a covered insurance benefit and you will be responsible for any fees.

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