IMPORTANT POLICIES

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR POLICIES
 

• Prices, promotions, availability, formulas + ingredients are subject to change without notice.

• This quick reference is to provide you with an easy way to review general policies. Please see below for more detailed information.

• Walk-in visits, texts, e-mails & calls to the office are not to be used in place of an appointment.

• we accept hsa/fsa cards. Use of HSA/FSA cards are at your own risk. 

• We are strictly a self-pay practice. You are financially responsible for your visits, services & products.

• We do not bill for insurance payments or reimbursements, nor do we communicate with insurance providers or plan administrators on behalf of patients. a superbill can be provided at the time of your visit upon request. a preparation fee may be assessed for any post-appointment requests.

• Prescriptions, including dose changes, medical advice & lab requisitions need to be obtained during an appointment at least every 6 months to ensure that any medication reflects the current health of the patient. For prescription refills please call your pharmacy and request a refill directly with them. Your pharmacy will then submit a request directly to dr. varela. If you have questions regarding your refill request please call 925.786.0375. Please allow at least 2 business days for your refill request to be filled.

• There are fees associated with no shows, late cancellations, same-day cancellations & late arrivals. 

• Late arrivals will result in a shortened service. If you are more than 10 minutes late for your appointment, we may need to reschedule your appointment.

• Please follow your treatment plan as directed. Varying it in any way may result in worsened symptoms, put your health at risk, or prolong your healing process.

• If you are not experiencing improvement or have a change in symptoms, please call the office to schedule a follow up appointment.

• We do not offer refunds for services, treatments, procedures, shots, packages, gift cards, or consultations.

• We do not allow pets inside our offices unless they are working Service Dogs on duty according to the ADA.

APPOINTMENT CANCELLATION POLICY
 

We require at least 24 hours notice for appointment cancellations for any scheduled service. No-shows, same-day cancellations & cancellations made with less than 24 hours notice are subject to at least 50% of the appointment fee. New patients - If you are not cleared for the treatment of your choice or you decide against any treatment, the fee will be used for your consultation with our practitioner. You may be charged for products, materials, supplies, or sterile solutions that were special ordered &/or prepared for your appointment that you missed or late-cancelled. By scheduling an appointment, you are agreeing to our cancellation policy.

If unforeseen circumstances require us to cancel or reschedule your appointment with less than 24 hours notice, the cancellation fee may be waived at our discretion.

If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please CALL Dr. Varela. It is not guaranteed that an e-mail will reach us in a timely manner. If you cancel via e-mail, you may still be charged a cancellation fee. If you carry an unpaid balance, your account will be locked until the balance is satisfied in full. A locked account will mean you will not have access to  any service you have pre-paid for or future services.

LATE ARRIVAL POLICY
 

We regret that late arrivals will not receive an extension of scheduled service times & you will be financially responsible for full service fees. Please plan for traffic & parking. We will make every effort to perform your entire treatment in the remaining scheduled time. However, we reserve the right to reschedule your appointment if you are more than 10 minutes late or if we feel there is not enough time to give you a quality treatment & to not keep other guests waiting.

REFUND POLICY
 

We do not offer refunds for services, treatments, procedures, shots, packages, gift cards, or consultations.

TELEPHONE POLICY
 

We are happy to answer short questions to clarify instructions or treatment plans on the phone without charge. If a call is used as a substitute for an in-person appointment or results in professional/medical advice, a new or different prescription or supplement including dosages, or any other change to your treatment plan, you will be charged the same rate as an appointment.

EMAIL POLICY

For non-urgent medically related questions, please limit e-mail communication to clarifications of previously discussed issues. These should require a simple answer, such as “yes” or “no.” If your e-mail is a request for us to review websites, books, journals, articles or non-prescribed supplements from external sources or Internet searches for opinions & feedback, this is a billable service & will be charged at the doctor’s hourly rate. The fee for this type of service request is not covered by any payment made for any previous consultation. Please understand that e-mail communication is not secure or HIPAA compliant & we cannot guarantee protection of your personal health information when traditional e-mail is used. E-mail is not to be used in place of an appointment, for medical advice, or for any change to an existing treatment plan or change in medication/supplement or dosage. Please call the office to discuss any concerns; it may be necessary to schedule a follow-up appointment for appropriate continued care. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response if you choose to communicate via e-mail. For more complex &/or urgent questions or requests, please call the office. We will determine if your communication requires scheduling an appointment or other action.

PRIVACY POLICY: HIPAA

We maintain the privacy of medical & health information of any individual for whom we provide services (“Protected Health Information” or “PHI”) & endeavor to comply with all relevant state, national & international laws & regulations including the U.S. Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA). In addition, all personal information is confidential & not disclosed to third parties unless under a court order or we have received signed documentation from our client to release information being requested. This includes but is not limited to name, address, phone number, social security number & e-mail address. Information regarding a minor’s PHI may be disclosed to the legal guardian as required by law. It is important that you understand that your information can be used & shared in the following ways:

1. For your treatment & care coordination. Multiple health care providers may be involved in your treatment directly & indirectly.

2. With your family, friends, relatives, or others that you identify who are involved in your health care or health care bills.

3. To protect the public’s health, such as reporting when the flu is in your area or if you are a physical threat to yourself, your doctor, the community, or your family.

4. To make required reports to the police, such as gunshot wounds.

5. Obtain payment from third party payers.

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

In compliance with the FTC guidelines, please assume the following about links and posts on this site:

Most of the links going to products on DR. Toni Varela, NMD are affiliate links of which I receive a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you (sometimes, I even get to share a unique discount with you).

Regardless of the relationship as defined above, if I post an affiliate link to a product, it is something that I personally use, support and would recommend. I personally vet each and every product.

Our first priority is providing valuable information and resources to help create positive optimization of your mind, body and spirit, and we will only ever link to products or resources (affiliate or otherwise) that fit within this purpose.

Thank You!