PATIENT GENERAL INFORMATION Getting Here and Parking

General Outpatient:

The general Neurology clinic provides care to patients with a broad spectrum of neurological problems. This clinic also manages the neurologic complications of comorbid medical conditions including rhematological disorders and endocrine disorders. Patients with headaches, neuropathy, and low back pain may be seen in this clinic.

Referral and Consultation:

Physician Referral Required: Patients must be referred by a primary care physician or subspecialist within the community. If a patient needs to be seen the same day for an urgent problem, the patient can be seen by a core group of general neurologists who provide full-time coverage in the center. If a patient is physician-referred, a timely appointment will be scheduled for a general neurology consultation or for a second-opinion consultation in one of the subspeciality areas.

Pre-registration: A UCLA patient registration number is required for each patient cared for at the UCLA Medical Center. If you have never seen a UCLA physician before, you are required to obtain a UCLA medical record number prior to your appointment. If you have not already done so, contact the Patient Pre-Registration Coordinator at 800-825-2631 and inform them of your upcoming appointment. To register, you will need the patient's insurance information, date of birth, social security number, home address and the referring physician's contact information. The patient will be assigned a permanent UCLA Patient ID number, records this number for your records. The Patient Registration number is needed to schedule all appointments.

To Make An Appointment: Your physician should fax the Neurology Consultation Form to 310-301-5391. Once the form has been faxed, you should contact our office at 310-794-1195 to schedule the appointment. You will need to have your patient registration ID number ready.

What to Bring:

You will need to bring the items below to your appointment in order to receive a proper evaluation.

• All radiological studies (CT, MRI, X-ray) pertaining to your current medical problem. Medical reports of X-rays are not sufficient, you must bring the actual radiological films with you to be reviewed. Do not send films prior to your appointment unless asked to do so.

• Prior medical records and consultations from other physicians who have investigated your medical problem should also be hand carried to the appointment.

• A complete list of the names and dosage of all the medications that you take.

• If you have been hospitalized for your current problem, please bring a copy of the discharge report.

• Your insurance card(s) and claim form(s), if applicable.

• Letter of authorization (required by all HMOs). You must consult your primary care provider to get an authorization number. If you do not bring your authorization letter, you may be required to pay your consultation fee at the time of your visit. Please understand that as a patient, you are ultimately responsible for financial matters related to the medical services provided to you. Please feel free to contact our Billing Coordinator, Cynthia Coleman, at 310-794-1459 if you have any questions or concerns about your coverage.

• If you are unable to keep your appointment, please contact us at 310-794-1195 immediately to cancel or reschedule.

• Insurance Co-Pay Information:
  Please be prepared to provide insurance information at the time you check into the clinic. Co-pays, as dictated by your insurance plan, and deposits for self-pays are due at the time service is provided. We accept major credit cards, checks, or cash for these services. If your health coverage requires a referral for coverage of medical service, obtain a referral from the appropriate provider in advance. Most referrals cannot be obtained after the visit has occurred and, in the absence of a referral, some plans will pay at a lower benefit level and you will be responsible for the difference. Please contact our billing office at 310-794-1459 if you have questions regarding the referral process.

Prescriptions and Refills:

New prescriptions usually require an office visit. Your physician will give you a written prescription, unless you prefer to have it called in to your pharmacy. In that case, you will need to provide the name and phone number of the pharmacy. There is an outpatient pharmacy located on the first floor of the 100 medical Plaza Building. If you need a refill, please have your pharmacy fax in a refill request** to our clinic refill fax number: (310) 794-7491

**For Timely Medication Refill

• Please have your pharmacy fax a refill request 2 weeks before you run out of medications.

Length of Your Visit:

Please allow 1-2 hours for your appointment. However, no two patient visits are exactly the same and your physician will spend as much time as needed to ensure appropriate assessment and understanding of your care. Please prepare for possible delays with the assurance that you, too will have the time you need with the doctor.