Clinic Policies

This Practice

As a consultant for obesity medicine, Dr. Liao does not manage general medical problems, nor does she provide routine health care. She recommends that all patients have a primary physician. If you need a referral, she and her staff will be happy to assist you.

This office provides obesity care for adults. We do not treat patients under the age of 18.  We strive to have a comfortable and family environment while providing diagnoses and treatment of problems related to obesity.

We provide education and counseling on nutrition, activity, medications, hormones, motivation, behavior modification, and other facets of intensive lifestyle intervention.  We focus on non-surgical weight-loss techniques, rooted in evidence-based medicine and scientific research.  If you could benefit from weight loss surgery, we can refer you to the appropriate surgeon.

Appointments and Cancellations

Our patients are seen by appointment only.  

We offer both telemedicine visits and clinic visits for our patients. When making an appointment, please assist us with requested information so that you will be scheduled for an adequate amount of time.

In-person visits may be available if you have been fully vaccinated. Masks covering the nose and mouth are required while in the waiting room, clinic, and exam room. Companions will be asked to wait outside of the exam room.

We require a signed credit card authorization prior to telemedicine visits.

If your health insurance plan requires a referral, the signed approval must be obtained from your primary physician prior to your appointment. We request 24 hour notification if you will be unable to keep an appointment. Without cancellation, you may be subject to a missed appointment fee of $50.

We try to stay on schedule, but emergencies may occasionally result in delays. If you choose to wait, you will be seen. If you cannot wait, we will be happy to reschedule your appointment in a timely fashion.

Please contact Reagan or Kelly at  972-566-2734 to make a telemedicine or clinic visit.

Visits

During the first visit, Dr. Liao obtains a complete history and basic information about your medical problems. Based on this consultation, medications, testing, and/or laboratory work may be recommended.

If your insurance plan requires a specific laboratory within the insurance network, it can save you time and money if you are aware of which laboratory to use, prior to arriving at your appointment.

If testing is scheduled, you will be given instructions and procedures will be explained. After testing, the doctor will discuss the results and outline a treatment plan. Feel free to ask questions.

Patients should not discontinue medication unless specifically told to do so. If there are questions, please do not hesitate to call.

Holidays and Inclement Weather

Our office is closed on major federal holidays, and for some medical meetings. We will not schedule appointments for these dates.

On bad weather days, we may not be able to open the office, or may need to close early.  If this occurs, we will attempt to contact scheduled patients by telephone. When bad weather is predicted, please call before coming to the office.

Telephone Calls and Emergencies

If you are asked to call to report on your progress, designated personnel may be assigned to take information, answer questions, and relay directions.

In case of an emergency requiring immediate attention, call 911.

If you believe you are experiencing a side effect from a medication, call the office and describe the situation. Some problems may be treated in the office. Others may need the facilities of an emergency department.

Occasionally, Dr. Liao is unavailable.

If you call after office hours, leave a message and your call will be forwarded. If you do not receive a call back in 20-30 minutes, please call again to make certain that nothing is blocking the call, and that you have left the correct call back number. If there is still no call back in 20-30 minutes after a second call, contact your primary care physician or go to the nearest emergency facility.

Prescription Refills

When requesting routine refills, please call your pharmacy first.  If additional prescriptions are required, the pharmacy will call us. Please understand that you must be seen at least every 2-3 months to have refill prescriptions written in this practice.  Certain medications require routine laboratory monitoring and physical examinations in order to ascertain their continued safe use.

Payment and Insurance

Because we participate in many insurance plans, it is not always possible to know every patients final cost. However, based on your treatment plan, we can give you a preliminary idea. We file insurance and are pleased to discuss financial arrangements.

Please remember to notify us when there are changes in your registration or insurance information.

Copayments are due at the time of service. We accept several major credit and debit cards (AE, Discover, MC, Visa) and checks with photo identification. We do not accept post-dated checks. Please do not hesitate to discuss your special payment needs.