At Advanced Practice Nursing Specialists (“APNS”), we strive to provide timely, professional, and individualized medical care. Every appointment reserves provider time and clinical resources that are dedicated specifically to your care.
Because APNS is a cash-pay, fee-for-service medical practice, appointment fees compensate providers for their professional time, clinical expertise, medical judgment, review of your medical history, documentation, and individualized medical evaluation—not for a guaranteed prescription, diagnosis, treatment plan, laboratory order, referral, or specific medical outcome.
When a Visit Becomes Non-Refundable
Once you complete the required medical intake, submit your visit for provider review, and your appointment fee has been processed, your medical evaluation is considered to have begun.
At that point:
- Provider time has been reserved specifically for your care.
- Clinical resources have been allocated.
- Your medical information has entered the provider review queue.
- The provider is expected to review your submission and exercise independent medical judgment.
Accordingly, the appointment fee has been earned by APNS and the visit becomes non-refundable, regardless of whether a prescription, laboratory order, imaging study, referral, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation is ultimately provided.
Patients should carefully review the available visit types and complete the appropriate intake questionnaire before submitting their visit. Selecting the incorrect visit type or submitting the wrong intake may delay care and may require completion of a new intake or scheduling of a different appointment. Submission of an incorrect intake does not entitle the patient to a refund.
No Refunds
Refunds will not be issued under any of the following circumstances after the medical intake has been submitted and payment has been processed:
Medical Decision-Making
- A prescription is not prescribed.
- The provider determines that the requested medication, treatment, laboratory test, imaging study, or referral is not medically appropriate, medically necessary, safe, or legally permissible.
- The provider recommends a different diagnosis or treatment plan than the patient expected or requested.
- The provider determines that additional evaluation, laboratory testing, imaging, specialist consultation, urgent care, emergency care, or an in-person examination is necessary before treatment can safely be provided.
- The patient’s condition falls outside the scope of services offered by APNS.
- State or federal laws, professional licensing requirements, or accepted standards of medical practice prohibit the requested treatment.
Patient Dissatisfaction
Refunds are not provided because a patient:
- Disagrees with the provider’s diagnosis.
- Disagrees with the provider’s medical judgment.
- Is dissatisfied with the provider’s recommendations.
- Expected a different medication or treatment.
- Expected antibiotics, controlled substances, or another medication that the provider determined was not medically appropriate.
- Did not achieve the desired medical outcome.
Pharmacy and Third-Party Issues
Refunds will not be issued because:
- A pharmacy is unable to fill a prescription.
- A medication is out of stock or backordered.
- A compounded medication requires additional preparation time.
- A pharmacy substitutes or cannot obtain a medication.
- Insurance refuses to cover a medication.
- Prior authorization is required.
- A laboratory, imaging center, or other third-party provider delays or cannot perform a requested service.
APNS’s professional services are separate from the operations of pharmacies, laboratories, imaging centers, and other third-party vendors.
Missed Appointments
Refunds will not be issued for:
- Missed appointments (no-shows).
- Failure to attend a scheduled video visit.
- Arriving too late to complete the scheduled appointment.
- Failure to complete required intake information before the appointment when requested.
Incorrect Visit Selection
Patients are responsible for selecting the appropriate visit type and completing the correct medical intake.
If the wrong visit type or intake questionnaire is selected, APNS may require the patient to complete the correct intake or schedule a different appointment before care can be provided.
Choosing the incorrect visit type or submitting the wrong intake does not qualify for a refund.
Patient Conduct
Providers reserve the right to terminate a visit immediately if a patient engages in behavior that is inappropriate, unsafe, or disruptive.
Refunds will not be issued if a visit is terminated because of:
- Inappropriate or excessively revealing attire during a video visit.
- Profanity or abusive language.
- Harassment or discriminatory remarks.
- Threatening or intimidating behavior.
- Sexual or inappropriate conduct.
- Refusal to follow reasonable provider instructions.
- Recording providers or staff without permission where prohibited by law.
- Any behavior that compromises the safety, dignity, or professionalism of the medical encounter.
Cancellations, Refund Eligibility, and Technical Issues
If APNS must cancel an appointment before the provider begins reviewing the submitted medical intake due to provider availability, scheduling conflicts, or a technical problem originating from APNS’s systems or equipment, APNS may, at its sole discretion:
- Reschedule the appointment at no additional charge; or
- Issue a full refund.
Patient Technology Responsibility
Telehealth appointments require patients to have reliable technology capable of supporting a secure video visit.
Patients are responsible for ensuring that they have:
- A reliable internet connection.
- A functioning computer, tablet, or smartphone.
- A working camera and microphone.
- Speakers or headphones.
- A supported web browser or mobile application.
- Appropriate device permissions enabled.
- Adequate battery power or electrical power.
Technical issues originating on the patient’s side—including internet connectivity problems, malfunctioning equipment, browser incompatibility, disabled camera or microphone permissions, outdated software, unfamiliarity with the telehealth platform, or any other patient technology issue—do not qualify for a refund.
If a visit cannot be completed because of patient-side technology problems, APNS may, at its sole discretion, offer the opportunity to reschedule the appointment. However, because provider time has already been reserved and the medical review process has begun following submission of the intake, refunds will not be issued due to patient equipment, technology, or internet-related issues.
Patients are encouraged to log into the telehealth platform several minutes before their scheduled appointment to verify that their camera, microphone, speakers, internet connection, and device settings are functioning properly.
Exceptional Circumstances
APNS understands that extraordinary situations may occasionally arise.
Requests for refunds due to exceptional or unforeseen circumstances may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Approval of any exception is solely at the discretion of APNS management and does not establish a precedent or obligation to grant future refund requests under similar circumstances.
Our Commitment
APNS is committed to providing every patient with thoughtful, ethical, and evidence-based medical care. Our providers exercise independent professional judgment based on each patient’s unique medical history, symptoms, applicable laws, and accepted standards of medical practice.
Appointment fees compensate providers for the professional evaluation they perform—not for a guaranteed prescription, diagnosis, treatment, or specific outcome.
By scheduling an appointment, completing a medical intake, submitting your visit for provider review, and receiving services from APNS, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Refund Policy.