Which Practice Fits? How One Referral Line Reaches Four Practices

A person rarely arrives with one tidy need. Someone with diabetes may also be sleeping badly; someone leaving treatment may have no primary care provider at all. Hope Health Network has four practices and one referral line, so the person sending the referral does not have to sort that out first. Here is what each practice does, how video and in-person care fit together, and what the person needs to know about coverage.

Which practice fits which need

• Needs a primary care provider, care for diabetes, hypertension or COPD, a Medicare yearly wellness visit, or a primary care provider after a hospital stay: Hope Medical Associates.
• An adult with anxiety, depression, ADHD, insomnia, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder or postpartum depression who needs psychiatric medication management or counseling: Hope Behavioral Medicine.
• An opioid or alcohol use disorder that calls for medication-assisted treatment, including a person referred by a drug court, probation or pretrial services: Hope Addiction Medicine.
• Wants primary care, mental health and addiction medicine with one coordinating team: Hope Integrative Medicine.

You do not need to choose a practice; we route each referral to the right one.

The Medicare yearly wellness visit

Medicare.gov describes the yearly wellness visit as a conversation-based visit to build a prevention plan, covered once every 12 months. It is not a routine physical exam. The patient pays nothing under Part B when the provider accepts assignment, though the Part B deductible may apply if additional tests or services are done during the visit.

Video and in person

Mental health care is available by video anywhere in South Carolina. Some primary care and addiction medicine services are often able to be delivered through a hybrid model combining video visits with an in-person exam at our West Ashley office when indicated. Lab tests can be done at a lab of the patient's choice.

Coverage

Our practices accept Medicare, most major commercial plans, and all South Carolina Medicaid managed care plans except Select Health (First Choice). Self-pay rates are also available.

Records that travel with the referral

When a provider's office refers, 45 CFR 164.506 lets it share health information with another provider for that provider's treatment of the patient without a separate authorization. Substance use treatment records covered by 42 CFR Part 2 generally need the patient's written consent.

How to refer

The referral line, fax number and secure form are on our referral page, and our about page introduces the practices and the shared West Ashley office. We typically contact the patient within two business days of a faxed referral, and initial evaluations are often able to be scheduled within a week of the request. If the patient needs to be seen sooner, call us.

When it cannot wait

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline takes calls, texts and chats around the clock, free and confidential, and it is for anyone, including a person worried about someone else. Our practices are not an emergency service, and the referral form is not monitored for emergencies. For someone in crisis, call or text 988, and in immediate danger, call 911.

This article explains these rules in general terms. It is not legal advice.

Sources: Medicare.gov, Yearly wellness visits; 45 CFR 164.506, uses and disclosures for treatment, payment and health care operations; 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and does not create a patient–provider relationship. Every situation is different, so see a provider who can evaluate yours and develop a plan of care. Any medication discussed here may not be right for you: the right choice depends on your diagnoses, other health conditions and current medicines, so take medication only as directed by the provider managing your care. If you are ever in doubt about an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.