Pediatric Junction

Love Meets Medicine

All Aboard for the Junction!

Dr. Anna Lincoln, MD FAAP
Board Certified Pediatrician
Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)

Being a good physician was just the beginning. Dr. Lincoln's love of medicine and family seeded an idea that became a dream and now reality. Pediatric Junction is about the way
Dr. Lincoln thinks pediatrics should be practiced:

A Medical Home Not A Doctor's Office
Empowering Families To Be Involved
Showing Compassion And Respect
Information Always Available
Hugs And Prayers With Medical Knowledge

Dr. Lincoln is proud to work alongside Nurse Practitioners Courtney Mitchell and Andrea Brune. The Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has endorsed the value of having a
medical home.

What a special bonus to be located in Old Town Buda in the historic home of Dr. Lauderdale.

Important Information for PJ Families Regarding Coronavirus

This information is for Pediatric Junction patients and families only and does not replace medical advice.

SCHEDULING AND OFFICE PROTOCOL DURING COVID19 OUTBREAK (5/12/23)

To request medical advice or an appointment you can Spruce, call and leave a non-urgent message (follow the prompts), or text 512-575-2059. Please call for any urgent patient needs and follow the on-call instructions 24-hours a day.

We continue to diligently work to make sure we are keeping your children’s health on the right track during the COVID Pandemic. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this ever-changing healthcare environment. There is new information since our last update; please read carefully.

OFFICE SCHEDULE: We continue our regular hours M-F 7:30-4:30. After hours clinics on Saturdays and holidays for same-day sick visits are 8:00-noon. There are NO WALK-IN appointments at this time. We are committed to safely distancing our patient families as we adhere to the strict healthcare safety guidelines of the Texas Medical Board and Centers for Disease Control. We are striving to do more advance scheduling, but changes remain possible as we work to ensure we have timely appointments for both sick and well patients.

COVID TESTING: A virtual appointment with one of our providers should be scheduled if there has been a COVID exposure to anyone in the home or any symptoms (fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea). As each situation is different and the testing options complicated, this is the best way to get personalized advice for your situation. We currently participate in a COVID Testing Referral Program. With different COVID tests and testing techniques available, this program is currently the preferred method to get timely reliable results for our patients. It is the more accurate PCR deep nasal swab, with results typically in 1-2 days directly to us. If you seek testing elsewhere, you may be required to see a provider, which increases your cost. Although rapid testing can be helpful in some cases, a negative rapid antigen test is not accepted by most schools and employers. Bottom line: Let us help you through the maze of information during this continued COVID pandemic – Care is best in the medical home.

COVID DIAGNOSIS OUTSIDE PJ: If you do seek testing for your child outside PJ and receive a positive diagnosis, please let us know immediately so we may discuss quarantine and precautions, as well as the necessary cardiac clearance required for athletes, including in-school and private competitive activities.

FLU VACCINES: Getting the annual flu vaccine has always been the most important way we can help protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community from influenza. It saves lives, plain and simple. Please prioritize getting your family vaccinated! Reach out to us to schedule – it’s never too late to keep the flu at bay.

WELL EXAMs: Well exams are an essential part of your child’s health, especially when they are due for vaccines. We are asking all children through age 4 to come for well exams and not delay, in order to receive immunizations and important growth and developmental assessments. With our protocols in place, we are able to accommodate older patients as well, especially those requiring vaccines.

VIRTUAL VISITs: Some visits can continue to be done as virtual visits securely on Spruce. This may be changing as insurance carriers modify virtual visit coverage policies, despite the American Academy of Pediatrics’ urging to continue at least 90 days after expiration of the national public health emergency. When you request to schedule, please let us know if you are interested in a virtual visit, and be sure to understand your insurance coverage.

COPAYS & COST-SHARING: Some insurance plans require copays and cost-sharing for families for virtual visits. We have prepared a table with some of this information, however, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER TO VERIFY ONGOING COVERAGE. If your insurance stops covering virtual visits, they may still be an option for your family; we may offer cash-pay pricing. Some plans, such as all state insurance plans, do not contractually allow this, however. If you have questions regarding the cost of this service to you, please let us know. We are working hard to keep our Pediatric Junction families connected to your medical home here!

APPOINTMENT CHECK-IN: Process your payments and complete the check-in process prior to your appointment if possible. (Phreesia in-office pads are not available.) In most cases you will receive an email before your appointment. Sometimes there is a balance on your Phreesia check-in which could be pending insurance. Please message in Spruce any billing concerns. In-office appointments receive a text message on the day of the visit; simply reply “HERE” when you arrive and wait in your car for instructions. Virtual visits receive a Spruce message 30-60 minutes prior to the appointment to give ample time to complete check-in and collect vitals at home if able; reply “READY” to consent and begin the process.

COVID RISK-ASSESSMENT SCREENING: All staff, patients, and caregivers will complete screening prior to any visit, virtual or in-person, as required by the Texas Medical Board. Screening includes review of recent symptoms and exposure, as well as an in-office temperature check. For screening purposes, CDC considers a temperature of 100.0°F or greater as significant. In our efforts to minimize exposure, we ask that only one or two well caregivers come to in-office appointments at this time.

MAJOR CARRIER TELEHEALTH COVERAGE* / Cobertura de Telesalud*

UPDATED 5/12/23 (a partir del /12/23)
Insurance *Seguro*	Virtual Coverage End Date *Fecha de finalización de cobertura virtual*	Cost Sharing Compratir costos
Aetna	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
BCBS of Texas	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
BCBS Health Select	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	No
BCBS TRS	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	No
BCBS FED	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
BCBS Self-Funded	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
BCBS UT Select	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
Cigna	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
GEHA	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes, for non-COVID related effective 10/1/20
Golden Rule	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
Humana	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
Medicaid STAR / CHIP	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	No
OSCAR	Date Unknown / Fecha desconocida	Yes
Baylor Scott & White	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
Sendero IdealCare	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
Seton	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
TML	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
Tricare	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes
UnitedHealthcare / UHC All Savers / Self-Funded	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes, for non-COVID related effective 10/1/20
UMR	Covered benefit / Beneficio cubierto	Yes, for non-COVID related effective 10/1/20
* This is only a guide; please contact your individual insurance company for plan-specific details. ** If YES, patient is responsible for copay, deductible and co-insurance normally associated with office visits. * Esto es sólo una guía; comuníquese con su compañía de seguros individual para obtener detalles específicos del plan. ** En caso afirmativo, el paciente es responsable del copago, el deducible y el coseguro normalmente asociados con las visitas al consultorio