Thank you for considering the Ideal Neurology Clinic!
If you have arrived here from Facebook or Instagram, welcome! Our website has a wealth of information about our practice and its philosophy.
In order to meet the needs of our patients, we schedule only a couple months in advance. If you do not see any openings, please check back in a week or two. In order to protect your time with the doctor, please do not call asking for an exception— we have limited support staff, and all available appointments are online. We appreciate your patience and are honored to be considered for your neurology care.
Steps for Scheduling Your Appointment
- Select your desired appointment type
- During the booking, you will be asked to place a credit card on hold. This will be charged in the event you do not show up for your appointment, or if you cancel less than 48 hours prior to your appointment time, or by 11am on Friday for Monday appointments. The credit card stored will also be used to cover copays, coinsurance, deductibles, and any other visit fees as outlined in our financial policy, found in the Welcome Packet. Please review carefully before you book your appointment.
- Accepted insurances: Traditional Medicare and Ambetter only. We accept only Medigap plans as secondary plans for Medicare - if you do not have a Medigap plan, and instead have a group/employer plan as your secondary coverage, you will be required to pay for your 20% coinsurance up front, then will be reimbursed if and when your insurance covers the cost of the visit. If you have any other commercial health insurance plan, Dr. Chalfin is out of network, and you will be responsible for the fee-for-service rates at the time of service. We urge you to contact your insurance to have a better understanding of what is covered under your specific policy.
- Upload a copy of your driver's license or other ID, and the front and back of your health insurance card.
- Please access the Welcome Packet for important instructions, forms, and questionnaires to be completed and brought with you to your appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don't see an opening for the appointment type I need. Why is that?
Appointments are scheduled only a couple months in advance. If your appointment type is not available, please check back for openings in a week or two.
Why do you need my credit card information?
We are a small boutique neurology practice that strives to provide personalized, compassionate care and to meet or exceed our patients' expectations. In order to hold your dedicated appointment slot, we require a credit card to protect against late cancellations and no shows.
Do I need a referral?
Every insurance policy is different. Please find out from your insurance carrier if you need a referral for reimbursement of your visit. Though a referral may not be required for traditional Medicare or Ambetter EPO plan patients, we encourage seeing your PCP first whenever you have a medical concern so diagnostic testing or treatment can be started.
How much are the fees if you are out of network with my insurance?
$295 for initial consultations (new patients), and $145 for follow-up visits. Add $150 for housecalls. Housecalls are only performed within a 15-minute radius of the office. Special requests for housecalls further than this will be charged $200/hr for travel time door to door both ways. Telephone encounters, which are not covered by any insurance, are $50 per 15 minutes or fraction thereof.
Do you offer a sliding scale or payment plan?
Unfortunately, Medicare laws prohibit the use of a sliding scale, and because our practice has limited support staff, we are unable to provide payment plans.
Are you trying to get on my insurance?
The answer is probably yes! We have been diligently working to obtain contracts with most commercial health insurers, but since we are a small practice, we have not yet been successful in doing so. It can never hurt to have a few motivated patients to advocate for us, so we encourage you to call and ask for your insurer to add us to their roster!
Can you place me on a waiting list?
We no longer keep a waiting list. When a cancellation does occur, it will be available online, so please check back again soon!
