FAQs
At Sim Family Clinic in northwest Houston, we get questions from new and existing clients alike. For your convenience, we have gathered frequently asked questions (and answers!) here. If you still have other questions about our practice or services, feel free to call us at (281) 893-5870. We are always happy to help!
Our regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am – 4 pm.
We see patients by appointment only. For patients with urgent medical needs, same-day appointments may be available, depending on physician availability. Call Sim Family Clinic at (281) 893-5870 to schedule your appointment.
If you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Do not wait!
Our phones are not monitored when our office is closed. We will be happy to address your nonemergency healthcare needs during our regular business hours.
It is our policy to refill your regularly taken medications during scheduled office visits.
We encourage you to schedule routine appointments with your doctor so that your medical condition can be monitored, any necessary lab work completed or reviewed, and your prescriptions refilled. In these cases, our physicians aim to provide you with ample medication until your next scheduled visit. Keeping your regularly scheduled appointments is important so that you do not run out.
If you are prescribed medication at your visit but your condition has either not improved or gotten worse, the doctor would like to see you in person for further examination.
We do not accept refill requests – or change of medication requests – by telephone or fax. Your pharmacy can advise you on the status of your refills, so please contact your pharmacist if you need this information. Also, please be advised that in many cases we will not prescribe narcotics, sleep aids, or pain medications.
We accept most major insurance plans. We encourage you verify with your insurance company whether the physicians at Sim Family Clinic are in-network for your particular plan prior to your appointment with us.
As participating providers for your insurance plan, we will gladly file a claim with your insurance company on your behalf. So that we may submit your claims efficiently, make sure to provide our staff with your most current insurance information at every visit and notify us of any changes. We recommend you thoroughly review your plan’s coverage because services you assume to be covered may not actually be covered. Please contact your insurance company for specific questions about what your plan covers.
If you have a new insurance plan, be sure to verify with your insurance company whether your plan has a pre-existing condition exclusion. A pre-existing condition exclusion may prevent you from getting insurance benefits for up to 1 year or longer for a health condition that exists prior to enrolling for the health insurance plan.
No – you are responsible for paying for our services at the time of your visit with us. Based on our agreement with insurance companies, Medicare, and federal guidelines, we must collect your payment at the time of service. If your insurance plan requires co-payment, co-insurance, and/or a deductible, you must pay that during your visit.
For your convenience, we accept most major credit cards and cash. For established patients with accounts in good standing, we accept checks, as well. If you are a new patient without insurance, a cash deposit is required upon check-in, along with payment for any additional charges incurred after the visit.
Sim Family Clinic does not provide lab results over the phone, by fax, or email. If you are scheduled for a follow-up visit to discuss your lab work, please be sure to keep your appointment. During that follow-up visit, the doctor will not only review you lab results and answer your questions but will also examine you and discuss treatment options (if necessary) and next steps.
As a new patient to Sim Family Clinic, we ask that you bring a photo ID, your current insurance information and a list of your current medications, including dosages when applicable.
If you are not insured, we require a cash deposit upon check-in and payment for any additional charges due to services received. Checks are accepted after you are an established patient in good standing. Patients are generally considered established after their third visit with the doctor.
Some insurance plans require a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) before you can see a specialist.
At Sim Family Clinic, we are happy to provide you a referral to see an appropriate specialist as long our doctors are familiar with your medical issue. This generally requires the doctor to first see you in person at our office. Be sure to provide us with the contact information for the specialist you see so that your Sim Family Clinic doctor can partner with your specialist, ensuring your continuity of care.
Please allow 72 hours for us to process routine referral requests. In some cases, urgent referral requests may be processed within 24 hours. Repeat requests for a referral not acted upon before its expiration may incur an administrative fee of $10.
Still have a question about our practice – or a health concern you’d like checked out? Call Sim Family Clinic in Houston, Texas, at (281) 893-5870. We’re happy to answer any questions you have or schedule an appointment for you.
