Primary Care FAQs in Miami, FL
These primary care FAQs for Miami, FL answer the most common questions patients ask Lisette Portes, MD — a board-certified family medicine doctor in Miami — about appointments, insurance and Medicare, new patient visits, chronic pain and chronic disease management, telehealth, prescriptions, and choosing the best primary care physician near them.
About the Practice
Dr. Lisette Portes is a board-certified family medicine physician and primary care specialist practicing in Miami, Florida.
The office is located at 7171 Coral Way, Suite 500, Miami, FL 33155. Call 305-328-5079.
Dr. Portes treats adults 18 and older, including seniors 65 and older on Medicare.
Yes. New adult and Medicare patients are being accepted at the Coral Way office.
Appointments
Call 305-328-5079 or submit the appointment request form on the contact page. The office confirms most online requests within one business day.
Same-day and next-day appointments are typically available for acute illness. New patient visits and annual physicals are generally scheduled within one to two weeks.
Photo ID, insurance card, a complete list of medications and supplements with dosages, recent lab or imaging results, your pharmacy information, and a written list of your questions.
Plan on 45 to 60 minutes. The visit builds your complete medical baseline rather than addressing a single complaint.
Appointments are preferred so patients are seen promptly. Calling ahead almost always results in a shorter wait than arriving unannounced.
Please provide at least 24 hours' notice so the appointment can be offered to another patient. Repeated missed appointments may be subject to a fee.
Insurance, Medicare, and Cost
Dr. Portes currently accepts Oscar Commercial, Cigna Commercial, Aetna Commercial, Free Medicare, and Preferred Medicare. Please call the office with your member ID to confirm eligibility and benefits before your appointment.
Yes, including Medicare Advantage plans. Dr. Portes can be designated as your primary care physician.
Yes. Self-pay pricing is available on request. Call 305-328-5079 for current rates.
Self-pay costs vary by visit type and by whether laboratory testing is included. Contact the office for a specific quote before your appointment so there are no surprises.
Most commercial plans cover one preventive annual visit per year at no cost, and Medicare covers an Annual Wellness Visit each year at no cost. Additional testing for a specific symptom or existing condition may be billed separately.
Most PPO and Medicare patients do not. Some HMO plans require your insurer to assign Dr. Portes as your primary care physician first — call and the office will confirm.
Primary Care
A primary care doctor provides first-contact and continuous medical care: preventive screening, diagnosis and treatment of illness, management of chronic conditions, prescription oversight, and coordination of specialist care.
Dr. Portes meets each of these standards.
Healthy adults generally need one comprehensive visit per year. Patients managing chronic conditions are usually seen every three to six months, and more often while medications are being adjusted.
Internal medicine trains exclusively in adult care. Family medicine trains across the full lifespan, producing broad experience in prevention, chronic disease, musculoskeletal complaints, women's health, and geriatrics. Dr. Portes practices family medicine with a focus on adults and seniors.
Choose primary care whenever your office can see you. Your primary care physician has your history, your medication list, and your prior results, which produces a more accurate diagnosis than a clinic seeing you for the first time.
Chronic Pain
Yes. Primary care physicians manage the majority of chronic pain in the United States — diagnosing the cause, prescribing non-opioid therapy, ordering physical therapy, treating contributing conditions, and referring for interventional care when needed.
Chronic lower back pain, neck pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, peripheral and diabetic neuropathy, chronic headache and migraine, shoulder pain, myofascial pain, and persistent post-injury pain.
The practice follows a non-opioid-first approach consistent with CDC guidance. Opioids are not a starting point for chronic pain and are considered only in narrow circumstances after other therapies, with defined goals and monitoring.
When pain has lasted more than three months, disrupts sleep or work, does not respond to over-the-counter medication, is accompanied by numbness or weakness, or has caused you to reduce your normal activity.
Chronic Conditions and Medications
Yes. Most type 2 diabetes is managed successfully in primary care, with endocrinology referral reserved for type 1 diabetes, insulin pump management, or diabetes that remains uncontrolled on multiple medications.
Have your pharmacy send the request directly to the office. Allow two business days. Controlled substances and medications requiring monitoring generally require a current office visit and recent labs.
Yes, and this is one of the most valuable things a primary care physician does. Dr. Portes reviews every prescription, over-the-counter medication, and supplement at each visit to catch duplications and interactions.
Telehealth
Yes. Secure video visits are available to patients physically located in Florida.
Medicare and most commercial plans cover telehealth, frequently at the same copay as an office visit.
Follow-up care, chronic disease management, medication refills and adjustments, laboratory result review, minor acute illness, and mental health check-ins.
Emergencies and After Hours
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for chest pain, difficulty breathing, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, loss of consciousness, seizure, severe allergic reaction, or major trauma.
Call the office number and leave a message with the answering service. A member of the care team will respond to urgent non-emergency concerns.
Still Have Questions? Call 305-328-5079
The team is happy to help you decide whether an appointment is needed and which type to book.