Office Policies

Your appointment time is scheduled specifically for you, and you will receive your provider’s full attention during that time. Together, you and your provider will cover your concerns as well as review your care plan and any upcoming medications or lab orders. 

APPOINTMENTS

If you are a new patient, your initial appointment lasts 60 minutes. Your first follow-up visit will be 40 minutes, and subsequent follow-ups can range from 20–60 minutes. We work to schedule appointments for the right amount of time for you. And yet, we know we can’t always predict exactly how much time you will need. We will let you know when you schedule how long and how much the appointment is. If you think you need more or less time than we have scheduled, please let us know when you schedule. Your provider will let you know when there’s about 5 minutes left in the appointment. If an extra 10 minutes is needed for your appointment time, that can be arranged, and an additional $99 fee will apply for the extra time. Please see below for more about the various appointment options and fees.

If you have an issue that cannot wait, there are a couple options. If you have a simple question, please relay a message through the medical assistant (M.A.) answering the phone or through the patient portal, Elation Passport. If you have a more complex issue, the M.A. can arrange a 10- or 20-minute phone consultation or an in-office visit, for which the usual rates will apply. This is the best way to ensure that you receive your provider’s full attention each time you communicate with us.

(See Out-of-Office Communications for more specifics.)

Phone and video consultations are available for established patients upon request and are billed at standard rates.

If your appointment is canceled on short notice, we are not able to offer that time to another patient. Thus, for any of our medical practitioners, any cancellation or rescheduling request must be made no later than 12:00 noon Central time, two (2) days before your appointment so as to allow another patient to take that open appointment time. (See below for our policy for psychotherapists and coaches.) Note that if your appointment falls on a Monday, then any rescheduling should happen by noon on Thursday of the previous week.

By scheduling your appointment, you agree to allow us to charge your credit card two (2) business days before your appointment. Once the appointment has been charged, we will not be able to refund the fee. However, we also know that sometimes emergencies and other issues arise.

If you do need to change your appointment with one of our medical practitioners after the cancellation deadline has passed, we offer a one-time courtesy rescheduling within three weeks of your original appointment, pending availability on our schedule. Please note that this courtesy is intended for urgent situations and not as a regular rescheduling practice. We understand, however, that sometimes things happen. If you do need to change your appointment after the cancellation deadline has passed, we offer a one-time courtesy rescheduling within three weeks of your original appointment, pending availability on our schedule.

To be fair to our patients and our practitioners for their time, should you need to reschedule an appointment after the cancellation deadline again in the future, this will result in a charge of 50% of the appointment fee for the rescheduled appointment. Thereafter, should you need to reschedule an appointment after the cancellation deadline or if you do not show for your appointment, your appointment fee will be forfeited and you will be charged the full appointment fee for any further appointments.

If you request to reschedule on short notice due to missed labs, you will be asked to continue with the appointment and have the labs done after the appointment. If you wish to review the labs with Dr. Stracks after having them done, we will schedule an add-on appointment for you.

If you have scheduled an appointment with one of our psychotherapists or pain coaches, your credit card will be charged at noon Central time one (1) business day before your appointment. Once that time has passed, we will not be able to refund or reschedule your appointment on short notice. Kindly let us know no later than noon Central time the business day before your appointment if you need to change your appointment for any reason to avoid being charged.

Please remember that it is your responsibility to get any labs done with sufficient time (i.e., 14 business days) for results to come back to Dr. Stracks, before your next appointment.

Cormendi Health is able to offer laboratory testing at competitive rates outside of the insurance system. If you choose to use this service, payment for laboratory testing is due at the time the labs are ordered. Please contact the M.A.s to avail yourself of this option. (Note that if you use this option, you will not then be able to submit to insurance for reimbursement.)

Should you choose a lab where Cormendi Health does not have an account, please make sure the lab results are sent directly to us via fax at 773-337-7316. Please also check with us at least two days before your appointment to confirm the results have been received.

Lab results are reviewed in appointments only. If your lab results are available before your appointment, your provider will send them to you with a brief comment. All lab results will then be reviewed in detail at your appointment. Please do not ask for interpretation by phone or email. Should labs need to be reviewed urgently, an appointment will be set up within 48 hours.