Preparing for an ADHD Intake Appointment

If you've been diagnosed with ADHD before and have your diagnosis paperwork available, you can email it to [email protected]. Be sure to use the same email address that you used to sign up when booking your appointment.

Note: This step is optional. After your first visit, we will facilitate getting your medical records from your previous provider.
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If you haven't been diagnosed before, we are still able to diagnose and prescribe medication. You don't need to bring anything in particular to your first appointment. We use a 2 appointment process to diagnose ADHD so that our providers can learn about your medical history and symptoms from you on the first call, and then can send you requests for any specific medical history, ADHD tests/questionnaires, etc. before you have your second call.

Here at Circle Medical, we can provide ADHD diagnosis and treatment for non-complex cases, over video appointments. Our ADHD Assessment process consists of:
• an ADHD intake appointment
• an annual physical exam if you have not had one within the last 12 months, and
• second ADHD appointment to complete the diagnosis process and discuss treatment options.

If medically appropriate, our providers are then able to prescribe clinically-approved ADHD treatment options.

Please note that booking and paying for a video appointment with one of our providers does not guarantee that you will be given a "confirmed" diagnosis. We encourage you to read through this entire FAQ before booking an appointment, to ensure that our practice is a good fit for you.

Our goal as a primary care practice is to make behavioral healthcare more accessible and integrated with primary care. However, primary care has its limitations and this means that receiving behavioral health treatment through Circle Medical is not for everybody. Please read the following carefully to understand whether Circle Medical may be a good fit for you.

You are a good candidate for receiving a comprehensive ADHD assessment and/or ADHD treatment through Circle Medical if:

- You have never had an ADHD diagnosis before but have always suspected you may have mild to moderate ADHD
- You have had an ADHD diagnosis as a child but have not taken medication for it in months/years and are noticing the effects on your work and/or personal life
- You have a current ADHD diagnosis and are on a treatment plan with another practice, but would like to explore switching over your treatment to Circle Medical

Circle Medical is a primary care practice, which means that we are not able to treat more complex cases of ADHD/ADD. Circle is not a good fit for you if:

- You are regularly taking benzodiazepines for other treatment (such as Klonopin or Xanax)
- You are regularly taking opioids for other treatment
- You have a more complex mental health history that may require psychiatric expertise in order to treat safely (this can include recent hospitalizations related to mental health and/or having uncontrolled or unstable bipolar disorder)

To find out more about Circle Medical’s scope of care for mental health, you can read more in this article: Mental Health and Care Eligibility.

To see our list of currently available states, begin booking an appointment.

You must be currently residing in the state of treatment as well as have your primary pharmacy be in that same state in order to be a patient at our practice.

New Jersey state regulations require that patients who have been prescribed a Schedule II controlled medication, such as Vyvanse, Adderall, and Ritalin, schedule an in-person appointment with their provider.

‍What changes are coming for New Jersey patients who take certain medications?
‍New Jersey state regulations require that patients prescribed a Schedule II controlled medication, such as Vyvanse, Adderall, and Ritalin, schedule an initial in-person appointment with their provider, and every three months thereafter.

‍How often do patients need to schedule an in-person appointment?
‍After the initial visit, patients may continue seeing their provider virtually, but they must have at least one in-person appointment every three months.

‍Where can these in-person appointments be held?
‍In-person appointments will soon be available at our locations in Marlton and Short Hills. You may also choose to see your provider at our locations in NY and PA, including our NYC clinic.

‍How will I be notified about available in-person appointments?
‍Once your provider has available in-person appointments, you will be notified via email.

‍Will my medications be sent to NJ if I am seen in NY or PA?
‍Circle Medical will be able to send your prescription to a New Jersey pharmacy, as long as it’s your current state of residence. The decision to fill your prescription will remain up to each individual pharmacy location and pharmacist on staff.

‍Are these changes applicable to all medications or only specified ones?
‍These requirements apply specifically to Schedule II controlled medications, such as Vyvanse, Adderall, and Ritalin. Non-controlled medications are not impacted.

‍What if my provider is not licensed in Philadelphia or New York, but I live near the border?
‍In-person appointments should be scheduled with a provider who holds a valid license in the state where the appointment is taking place. If your current provider is not licensed in a state you're closer to, you will need to be seen by a provider who is.

‍Are there any exceptions to these changes due to specific circumstances?
‍The new regulations are state-enforced, and are not at our discretion. We encourage a discussion with your provider for more clarity.

‍What happens if I miss an in-person appointment?
‍If you miss an in-person appointment, please contact the care team immediately to reschedule as your medication management may be affected.

‍If I have been virtually visiting my provider, can I continue to do so?
‍Yes, you can continue to see your provider virtually, but you must schedule at least one in-person appointment every three months as per the new regulations.

‍What if it's been over 3 months since I last saw my provider in person?
‍To comply with New Jersey state regulations, your next appointment will need to take place at one of our in-person locations.

‍What if my provider is not available for an in-person appointment and I’m due for one?
‍You must be seen in person by the provider who is prescribing your medication. If you book with a new provider due to availability issues, you must continue your care with that provider.

Our ADHD providers are primary care providers (MD's/DO's, NP's, and PA's) who have received specialized training for ADHD intake. They are trained by psychiatrists to ensure a high standard of care, but they are not psychiatrists themselves.

Although it is a commonly accepted practice for many primary care providers to refer their patients to psychiatrists for ADHD diagnosis and treatment, primary care providers are actually also able to diagnose and treat mild to moderate forms of ADHD themselves. If you have mild to moderate ADHD, you can benefit from having your ADHD managed by your primary care provider at Circle while getting access to all of the general practitioner services you would find at your normal doctor's office.

More complex cases will require psychiatrists to diagnose. We encourage you to please read through this entire FAQ to make sure our practice is a good fit for your needs before you book a medical appointment with a provider.

Some states have different regulations regarding who can see you for certain ADHD medication management:

• In Florida, Tennessee, and Texas, ADHD care is available with a physician (MD or DO license).
• For other states, patients can book appointments with any provider that we have available.

Our providers undergo thorough training in ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Our team, which includes physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, collaborates to maintain our high standards of clinical care excellence. Our patients can anticipate this consistent quality, even when changing providers. For patients discussing ADHD symptoms for the first time, the diagnosis process typically spans two visits to ensure comprehensive screening and diagnosis.

Our providers are required to conduct:
• An extensive medical evaluation, which includes an in-depth discussion of symptoms and goals of ADHD treatment (Appointment 1, 30 minutes).
• An annual physical exam with Circle Medical, or proof of an annual physical exam within the past 12 months (Appointment 2, 30 minutes).
• After your medical evaluation and annual physical, a controlled substance medication may be prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan at your provider's discretion (Appointment 2 or 3, 20–30 minutes).
• Monthly follow-up appointments (via video or in-person) to monitor your symptoms, discuss medication side effects and make modifications to your care plan (Follow up appointments, 20 minutes).

We contract with most PPO insurance plans. If you are a California Bay Area resident, we also work with a small number of HMO plans.

To verify if we work with your insurance, simply start booking an appointment online. You will be prompted to enter your insurance details and will receive eligibility results instantly as well as an estimate of your appointment cost prior to confirming your appointment.

Some PPO plans that we currently work with are:
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Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, Health Net, Humana, and United Healthcare.

Plans that we cannot work with are:

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide care for patients who have Medi-Cal or Medicaid insurance. This is because we are not licensed Medi-Cal or Medicaid providers, so we are not able to provide care, even if these patients choose to pay cash instead of use their insurance. If you have Medi-Cal or Medicaid, please do not book an appointment with us, as we will be unable to provide care even if you do not enter your insurance information.

For a detailed breakdown of what you need for your first appointment with Circle Medical, read the article below:

How to Prepare for Your First Appointment

Circle Medical always puts the health and safety of our patients first. For this reason, we require any patient that is going to receive a controlled substance as part of their treatment plan to either undergo an Annual Wellness Exam with a Circle Medical provider, or to submit the results of one that was conducted by a primary care provider within the past 12 months. This enables us to ensure that we are minimizing any potential health risks for our patients. 

After you are diagnosed, if you are prescribed medications, we will coordinate sending these prescriptions to your preferred pharmacy.

You may have a 2-week follow-up for treatment. Once your treatment plan is finalized, you will have monthly follow-up appointments to maintain treatment.

If you have questions at any time, please feel free to chat with your provider and care team via our secure app.

All of our ADHD appointments have the same initial step: booking a video appointment. We accept patients who have had prior ADHD diagnoses as well as patients who have never been diagnosed with ADHD before. You may book your first video appointment with any of our providers to get started.

Please note that booking and completing an appointment does not guarantee that you will have a confirmed ADHD diagnosis and controlled substance prescription. Your provider has full authority to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for treatment, just like with a traditional doctor's office. Please read this FAQ in its entirety to make sure you are a good candidate for treatment through Circle Medical prior to booking your appointment.

It takes 2-3 appointments to have a full Circle Medical medical evaluation.Our providers are required to conduct:

• An extensive medical evaluation, which includes an in-depth discussion of symptoms and goals of treatment.
• An annual physical exam with Circle Medical, or proof of an annual physical exam within the past 12 months.
• After your medical evaluation and annual physical, a controlled substance medication may be prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan at your provider's discretion.
• Monthly follow-up appointments (via video or in-person) to monitor your symptoms, discuss medication side effects and make modifications to your care plan.