As a DMHC requirement, your office will receive a phone call from L.A. Care for our annual patient Access and Availability survey. Please make sure you or your staff answer the call and respond to the questions. If we miss you and you receive a voicemail, please call us back right away. Your office will also be called after business hours to check compliance for after-hours availability.
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As a reminder, accessibility standards for appointments and their required timeframes are listed below.
Primary Care Doctors
- Routine appointment (non-urgent): 10 business days
- Urgent appointment (no authorization required): 48 hours
Specialists
- Routine appointment (non-urgent): 15 business days
- Urgent appointment (requiring prior authorization): 96 hours
After Hours:
- Access: After Hours recording or answering service must state emergency instructions to address medical emergencies (e.g. "If this is an emergency, please dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.")
- Access: After Hours recording or answering service must state a way of contacting the provider (e.g. leave a message and the provider will call back, page provider)
- Timeliness: Recording or live person must state that provider will call back within 30 minutes
- Note: Providers must be compliant in all three of the above measures to be considered compliant with L.A. Care's After Hours standards.