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Appointments for Members ____________________________________________________
Appointment Access
Because members rely on their physicians to make initial diagnoses and manage their treatment ( from preventive to chronic care ), plan members must have access to the health-care providers they need and receive appropriate services promptly .
Hometown Health has established the following availability standards for appointments shown in the tables on the following pages .
Waiting Time
Waiting time at the PCP or specialist office is not more than 30 minutes from the scheduled appointment time except when the provider is unavailable due to an emergency .
We understand , however , that providers can be delayed when they “ work in ” urgent cases or find a serious problem or when the patient has an unknown need that requires more services or education than were described at the time the appointment was made .
24-Hour Availability
PCPs and specialists have appropriate arrangements to ensure the availability of physician ’ s services to members 24 hours a day , seven days a week , including coverage after hours or when the physician is absent .
Hometown Health monitors these standards through medical office surveys , Provider Directory audits , proactive office visits , online directory report discrepancy notification , and member notifications .
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