Frequently Asked Questions

Our physicians and nurses are available during the day to answer medical questions. If you are sick and need to be seen, please speak with a scheduling staff member and make an appointment. If you wish to speak with the physician or nurse before scheduling, please call the office.

If we are not available to speak with you at that time you may leave a message and we will make every effort to return your call as quickly as possible.

If you feel you are having a medical emergency please go to the nearest emergency room.

If you have an urgent medical problem when the office is closed, the on-call physician or our nursing service is available to assist you.

Our internal medicine and pediatric practices utilize an expert nursing service for late night and overnight coverage; a physician is also available for backup or for more complicated issues.

The on-call physician is either your regular physician or one of the other physicians in the practice.

If you feel you are having a medical emergency or feel you need to go to the emergency room, please proceed directly to the NewYork-Presbyterian ER or your closest ER and you may inform us the next day. The ER staff will alert us at any time if they deem it necessary.

Patients are seen by appointment only.

To schedule an appointment, call the corresponding office number to speak with one of our scheduling staff. If you have health insurance please have your insurance card with you when you call so we may verify our participation.

You may also schedule non-urgent and well-visit appointments at any time by visiting Weill Cornell Connect.

We do our best to see you at your scheduled appointment time. Occasionally emergencies arise that may interfere with this but we will make every effort to respect your time.

Our staff will inform you of your arrival time which will allow time for us to update your demographic and insurance information and to complete any necessary paperwork.

If you are late for your appointment we may ask you to reschedule. If you need to cancel an appointment we ask that you notify us as soon as possible and at least 24 hours in advance. There is a $75 fee if an appointment is missed. Frequent missed appointments may result in our blocking further scheduling.

You can cancel an appointment by calling the office or using Weill Cornell Connect, our online system.

For continuity of care, all physicals and other routine visits must be scheduled with your personal physician. This is the physician you selected when you made your first appointment with the practice. Infants and children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order for the most accurate exchange of information to take place.

If you are an adult being seen for a physical or a cholesterol test, please fast or eat lightly for 4 hours prior to your visit so we may get an accurate cholesterol result. You may drink water, black coffee, sugar-free drinks and take your medications at any time prior to the appointment.

All of our physicians reserve time on their schedules for urgent or same-day sick visits. If your primary physician is not available one of their colleagues will almost always have availability.

You will often incur higher out-of-pocket costs going to a standalone urgent care center. In addition to our practices having all your medical records and history, we know you best; your care will often be more efficient and safer if you are seen in our offices.

For after-hours you may be directed to an urgent care center or emergency room if necessary.

If your insurance requires that you obtain a referral from our office, please request all non-urgent referrals 72 hours in advance by phone or through our patient portal, Weill Cornell Connect.

If you request a referral through Weill Cornell Connect they will be completed more quickly and efficiently.

Depending on the nature of your problem, we may ask that you be seen in our office first before we issue a referral

If you require a prescription refill please try to remember to request it during an office visit.

If you need a refill at other times please call your pharmacy and ask them to request it. Your pharmacy can request the refill electronically directly into our electronic medical record system which will ensure safer, more efficient service.

You can also request a refill using your Weill Cornell Connect account or by calling our office.

We participate in a variety of insurance plans. For specific details you may ask one of our staff members, check our website, or check your insurance company's website. Before choosing a new insurance plan, please speak with our staff as websites and insurance books may not always be up-to-date.

Co-payments and payment for non-covered services are expected at the time of visit. If you request to be billed for a co-payment we will add a $10 service charge to reflect this additional cost.

If you are uninsured or are insured by a plan in which we do not participate, full payment is expected at the time of visit. We accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Your office visit will generate a bill from our office for physician services, and may also generate additional bills from laboratories for necessary blood work and radiology facilities for any imaging studies ordered.

We only utilize in-network labs or radiology facilities. However, these services may carry additional copays or deductibles depending on your specific insurance plan. Inquiries about these bills should be directed to your insurance company and/or the service provider first.

There are many different insurance plans with a variety of benefit packages. We expect you to be aware of your coverage or to check with your insurance company regarding payment for travel vaccinations, well-visits, lab work and other services.

If you are seen in our office and your insurance company does not cover the visit or any ordered tests, you will be billed for the service.

See a copy of our Financial Policy Agreement.

The physician or nurse will call with this information as soon as they are available. You can also view your test results using your Weill Cornell Connect account. Staff members will not give test results over the phone.

Your medical records are strictly confidential. The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) restricts practices from releasing any information without your written permission.

To obtain a copy of your records please complete the records release form in its entirety.

Email, fax, or mail the form to our Privacy Office using the contact information below.

Weill Cornell Medicine- Privacy Office
1300 York Avenue, Box 303
New York, NY 10065
medicalrecords@med.cornell.edu
Fax: (646) 962-0635

Please call the Privacy Office directly with any questions regarding your request at (646) 962-9820.

Requests are usually filled within 3-10 business days, however in certain circumstances it may take up to 30 days. Please let us know about any urgent needs and we will do our best to accommodate.

There is a standard service charge of $10 for any form completion ($50 for expedited service – same/next business day if the physician is in the office). This amount is due at the time the forms are submitted to our office. Please allow 7-10 business days for processing.

Our affiliated hospital is NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center at 525 East 68th St.

Our internists and pediatricians work with a group of hospital specialists who care for our patients when they are admitted. These physicians are experts in hospital medicine and will remain in daily contact with your primary physician to update them on your care and treatment. We are always available by phone to discuss your treatment with you as well.

Our OB/Gyn physicians share coverage with another full-time faculty group; one of them is available for urgent problems, and for labor and delivery coverage.

Our Tribeca practice physicians are also affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital (NYPLMH) and our OB/Gyn physicians at that practice deliver their pregnant patients at NYPLMH.

We strongly urge you to sign-up for our secure, online patient portal, Weill Cornell Connect.

From this site, you can schedule annual physicals and well-visits as well as non-urgent followup appointments from your computer. In addition, you can request prescription refills and referrals, view parts of your medical record including medications, immunizations and test results, send secure messages to the office and pay your Weill Cornell Medicine or NewYork-Presbyterian hospital bill.

Weill Cornell Connect is also available as an app for your mobile devices. You may sign up for this service in the office or on our website.