FAQs

What is Caduceus?

Caduceus is a physician-owned and physician-managed multi-specialty group that offers its patients a wide variety of on-site services. Services range from complete physicals, urgent care, and pediatrics to physical therapy and other specialties such as cardiology, orthopaedics, allergy-immunology, neurology, and even on-site MRI.

How long has Caduceus been around?

Caduceus incorporated on January 1, 1999. However, many of the physicians have been in practice together for over 20 years.

Who owns Caduceus?

Caduceus is owned by its doctors; we think that's the way it should be. This way, if you have a complaint and tell your doctor, the odds are you are speaking to an owner. We're one of the few physician-owned and physician-managed practices left in Orange County.

Who runs Caduceus?

Caduceus has a Board of Directors made up of only doctors. They make all of the decisions regarding which services to offer, which contracts to sign, and establish our policies. No outside third party is involved in these decisions.

Who manages Caduceus?

Caduceus is managed by an executive team that reports to the board of directors, made up only of doctors. Our CEO is a practicing physician in our group. In other words, we manage most functions- including referrals, coding, claim submissions and staff payroll.

What is a 'Caduceus'?

Simply put, the logo of medical care, also known as a "snake on a stick." As far as its origin, we invite you to read the various stories located on our Legends of Caduceus page.

Who Bills for Caduceus?

Our billing is done through Telones- a full service billing company.  You can reach them directly at 714-646-8000.

Do I need an appointment to be seen?

For primary care services, NO. We guarantee same-day visits if you call or walk in, even if it is not urgent. Our primary care office locations and Caduceus 4 Kids offer urgent care services.  We also have an urgent care office in Yorba Linda. If you prefer having a set appointment time, you can book this from the comfort of your home, office or even your smartphone.

How do Same-Day Visits work?

You may first call to find out the best time to come in -- or simply walk in. We make every effort to keep the time spent in our lobby short.

May I make an appointment if I am more comfortable with having a reserved time?

Absolutely. Just select "Appointments" from our Online Concierge menu at the top of the website. From there, look under "Primary Care," select an office location, select the service or provider, and choose the time you prefer. That's it. For specialty physicians and diagnostic services, appointments are easily scheduled using our "Reserve an Appointment," feature also found on the "Appointments" page.

Which hospitals/surgical centers do the physicians of Caduceus use?

Caduceus physicians are on staff at St. Joe's (Providence St. Joseph Hospital Orange), Placentia Linda Hospital, La Veta Surgery Center, Anaheim Regional, OC Global, Anaheim Global, and Hoag Hospital. 

What if I prefer to go to a different hospital/surgical center?

Most often, your insurance company determines which hospital or surgical center you will use. We will coordinate the authorizations to take care of the admission and any services by specialists you may need for your surgery or hospital stay.

How are referrals made?

Our referral process is easy. If a referral is for a service or to a physician that is on-site, we handle all of these through our patient friendly "CD" form - also known as Caduceus Direct. If the referral is outside the Caduceus network, we will work with your health plan and strive to have an answer for you promptly, usually within five business days. If the referral is urgent, we will have an answer the same day, as a rule. Some health plans and IPAs are more difficult when it comes to referrals; we will inform you of any delay or concern as it may arise.

Does Caduceus have more than one location?

Caduceus' main campus is in Yorba Linda at the corner of Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard. Nearly all services are offered, from MRI and ultrasound to physical therapy, primary care, Caduceus for Women, Caduceus 4 Kids and urgent care for adults and pediatrics. We also have a Caduceus for Women location in Anaheim.  Our Irvine office is on the corner of Jamboree and MacArthur in the city of Irvine, and offers primary care, a third Caduceus for Women suite, lab, and some specialty services. Our Laguna Beach office handles a high volume of primary care and urgent care services. 

What insurances does Caduceus accept?

We are participating providers for most health plans and insurances, both HMO and PPO/HSA.

Is Caduceus participating in the Covered California exchange?

Caduceus is actively participating in ALL Products/Tier Levels through Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and Healthnet.

What if I don't have health insurance and want to pay for services with cash?

No problem. For those patients without insurance, we are proud to offer our Cash Price list which can be found on this website. We will work with you on any bill.

Does Caduceus accept Medicare?

Yes, we are Medicare providers.  We take Original Medicare and also Medicare Advantage plans like SCAN, Secure Horizons, and others.

Does Caduceus post access to the Open Payments Database?

Yes, for informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here It can be found at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.

How are prescription refills handled?

If your original prescription allows refills (indicated on the label), send a message directly to your provider through your patient portal account. We commit to same-day responses to requests. Please contact us for refills well in advance of your last dosage because many medications should be taken daily and never be skipped.

How are phone or email messages handled?

For expedited communication, we encourage you to message us through your patient portal account or submit a live chat real-time from our website. We commit to same-day responses (or within 12 hours, whichever comes first).

I am considering becoming a Caduceus patient. Is there a charge to meet my prospective new doctor?

No. Your future primary care physician will gladly meet with you to discuss his philosophy, his background training, and any questions you have about the practice. We regret that current regulations do not allow the physician to perform a physical exam, write prescriptions or dispense medical advice during this introductory meeting.

What age groups do the physicians of Caduceus treat?

Caduceus is comprised of a variety of physicians, allowing us to see patients from the minute they are born. The cornerstone of the group is made up of board-certified Family Physicians, Pediatricians, and Obstetrician-Gynecologists.

Is Caduceus open to new patients?

Yes.

How should I prepare for my first visit?

Please allow an additional 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment to complete the patient information when you arrive at the office. Additionally, please bring your most current insurance card, and a form of identification (such as a California Driver's License). We apologize in advance, the majority of the information requested is mandated by health plans or government agencies. If your first visit is for a complete physical exam, you may want to consider coming in fasting (no food or drinks for 12 hours) so that we may draw your blood at the time of your visit. Dress comfortably; no matter what your mother told you when you were young, we don't pay particular attention to your underwear.

How can I transfer my medical records from my previous physician to Caduceus?

Request medical records through your secure encrypted patient portal account.

How do I receive results of my medical tests taken at Caduceus?

You will be contacted by a member of our staff through your patient portal account.

I am enrolled in an HMO and I am worried about getting a denial for medical services. Do you help us fight them?

Absolutely. Our staff is trained at appealing HMO denials. We will contact you through your patient portal account once the denial is issued and discuss your options with you; this policy is assuming the request is for medically necessary services. Cosmetic services, benefit issues, and patient convenience issues are frequently reasons for denials, and they are the ones that we cannot fight. We ask only that you start your appeal process through us and let us guide you and help you. If you start your appeal through the health plan, we are less able to be of any help.

Is Caduceus an HMO or an IPA?

No. We are just a group of doctors that practice medicine. We take payments from HMOs, PPOs, and Medicare, as well as accept payment by cash, check or credit card. We are not owned by any hospital. This leaves us free to serve you-- the patient-- as our one and only customer.

Does Caduceus have a philosophy on the delivery of health care?

Yes, and it is an easy one to explain: we are PATIENT-centered and physician owned and managed. Many medical offices in Orange County are owned by a hospital, designed to be a "feeder," to use that particular hospital. Other medical groups are heavily invested in the HMO and IPA system and designed to fit within that system. Another trend that many of our competitors have followed is to decline accepting any insurance and charge their patients a large annual fee to be their "concierge physician."  Caduceus rejects all of these philosophies. Being physician-owned and physician-managed allows us to keep the patient's needs first and foremost, and that is the only philosophy we need.