Patients with qualifying severe or debilitating conditions in the state of New York have been able to get a medical marijuana card from a medical marijuana doctor since 2014. Although medical marijuana has been legalized in New York since 2014, many patients who have qualifying conditions still may not know what to expect during an evaluation for medical marijuana, or how to be accepted into a medical marijuana program to receive a medical marijuana card.
What needs to be done prior to a medical marijuana screening with a Cross Valley Health & Medicine Provider?
Before calling the office for an appointment, please go to our website www.crossvalleyhealth.com and review the NYS list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana to have the best chance to be approved for a medical marijuana card. After reviewing this list, please complete the “Medical Marijuana Program Paperwork” which is found in the “Forms” section of our website. Once this is completed, the form will be sent to our office automatically, and we will call to schedule an appointment as soon as it is processed. We also encourage any medical records that support a diagnosis of an NYS qualifying condition to be submitted prior to your scheduled appointment to expedite the process of being approved and receiving your medical marijuana card. For our telemedicine medical marijuana screening appointments, you should expect a phone call the day before the appointment to remind you of your appointment. This phone call will contain the date and time of your appointment, the fees associated with the appointment, and any additional information we may need from you to ensure the approval and generation of your medical marijuana card in a timely fashion after your appointment.
What to expect during a medical marijuana screening with a Cross Valley Health & Medicine Provider?
On the day of your telemedicine medical marijuana appointment, you should expect a phone call within 15 minutes of your appointment time to make sure you are ready for your scheduled appointment. The medical assistant will ask to confirm you are using a smartphone, the phone number for that smartphone, that you are in an area that is private and secure, and that you have a good connection with either Wi-Fi or satellite. Once all of those items are confirmed, the medical assistant will explain the process for how to connect with a Cross Valley Health & Medicine provider by Telemedicine. After the process is explained, the medical assistant will collect the required consultation fee over the phone and then let the provider know that you are ready for them.
The medical marijuana doctor will be reviewing your medical records that provide evidence of a qualifying New York State condition. After they have learned a little bit about you and understand your condition, the medical marijuana doctor will send you the link to join the telemedicine conference for your medical marijuana screening appointment.
During the appointment with the medical marijuana doctor, he or she will review your conditions and the medical records that you have provided the office with you as well. The medical marijuana doctor may ask several different questions about your conditions and ask for details on who has treated these conditions in the past and what treatments you have tried. The medical marijuana doctor may also ask if you have ever tried recreational marijuana as well. Do not fear! This is not a trick question to get you in trouble! This question is to understand if you are familiar with medical marijuana and to make sure the dosing created on your medical marijuana certification will be best for you! The medical marijuana doctor will then inform you whether or not you have been approved for the medical marijuana card based on the New York State guidelines and qualifying conditions. The medical marijuana doctor will then ask if you have any questions for them to make sure you know as much as possible about the medication you are about to be certified for. If approved, the medical marijuana doctor will let you know the length of the certification and where the closest dispensaries maybe to where you are located to purchase the medication. The medical marijuana doctor will also then finish the call by stating the medical assistant will call you to check you out.
What to expect after a medical marijuana screening with a Cross Valley Health & Medicine Provider?
After the medical marijuana screening appointment, you will receive a card from the medical assistant asking to confirm that all of the demographics we have in our system is correct. This is very important as that if there is even a single error on your certification that does not match your New York State ID, this could cause significant issues for trying to purchase the medication. Once all of this information is confirmed, the medical assistant will ask for an email to put on file if there isn’t one already so they can send you the medical marijuana certification. After all of the information is taken and confirmed, the medical assistant will then take payment for any remaining fees owed over the phone and let you know your medical marijuana certification will be emailed over within a 36 hour period. They will also make sure to schedule you a follow-up appointment with us within 30 days of your certification’s expiration date. Once the medical marijuana certification is received, instructions will be attached that will have to be followed by you to register your certification to my.ny.gov to receive your medical marijuana card.
For how to register your certification and how to receive your medical marijuana card, please review some of our other blogs on our website!
Cross Valley Health & Medicine is a primary care practice located in Newburgh NY, allowing for both virtual and in-person appointments. The practice has two medical providers on staff, a medical doctor who is dual board-certified in Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine and a family nurse practitioner. Both providers are eager to see new patients for the following programs: Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health Management, HIV/AIDS Care Management, Internal Medicine, Medical Marijuana Certifications, Medication-Assisted Treatment, STDI/STI Care Management, and Weight Loss Management. If you are interested in becoming a patient of Cross Valley, please click here to access our online paperwork portal.