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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about concierge medicine, membership fees, and what to expect from Riviera Concierge Medicine in Santa Barbara, CA.

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You pay an annual membership fee for primary care from a physician who keeps his practice deliberately small. In a typical internal medicine practice, a physician may manage 2,000 or more patients. Dr. Pande keeps his panel to a fraction of that, allowing more time, better access, a physician who actually knows you, and more room to stay current with medical literature.

Yes. Your membership covers office visits, phone consultations, care coordination, and your annual comprehensive exam. You will still need insurance for specialist visits, hospitalizations, emergency care, lab work, imaging, and prescriptions. Think of the membership as covering your physician’s time and expertise; insurance covers the broader system.
Membership details, including fees, are discussed during your complimentary consultation with Dr. Pande. There are no per-visit charges, co-pays, or hidden fees for services provided by this practice.
Yes. You can call, text, email, or message Dr. Pande directly. You are not routed through a call center or a message portal, and for non-urgent questions, he typically responds within a few hours.
Yes. Same-day or next-day appointments are available when you need to be seen. If your concern can be addressed by phone, it will be. If you need to come in, you will.
Dr. Pande is available by phone for urgent matters outside regular office hours. Evening and weekend appointment times are available as needed. The practice is for YOU.

As long as they need to be. A straightforward follow-up might take 5 minutes or a simple phone call, while a complex issue might take an hour. The length is determined by the clinical situation, not by a billing schedule.

Dr. Pande identifies the right specialist for your situation, coordinates the referral, shares your relevant history, reviews the findings, and brings the recommendations back into your overall care plan. You will not be handed a name and left to figure out the next step alone.
Because of his relationships in the medical community, Dr. Pande can often begin coordinating before your specialist visit. A quick call may help clarify what labs, imaging, or information the specialist needs, so your appointment is more productive and your next steps feel clear and manageable.

Dr. Pande spent years working as a hospitalist before opening this practice. If you’re hospitalized or facing a procedure, he coordinates with your hospital care team, reviews treatment plans, and manages the transition home. He understands how inpatient systems work from the inside, and he remains your physician throughout.
Dr. Pande is your physician, directly involved in every aspect of your care. Your visits, your phone calls, and your care coordination all happen through that one relationship.
Dr. Pande arranges coverage with a trusted colleague for periods when he is away. You will always know in advance who is covering, and your medical records will be accessible to the covering physician. For extended absences, Dr. Pande will communicate directly with members about the coverage plan.
Dr. Pande’s background is uniquely suited to Santa Barbara’s small, tight-knit medical community. He remains actively involved at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and the internal medicine residency program, so he understands the local hospital system from the inside. Having worked with multiple groups at the hospital, he knows many local specialists personally, not just as names on a referral list, but as colleagues whose judgment he trusts. When he refers you to a cardiologist, surgeon, or other specialist, it is based on firsthand experience and your specific needs. That mix of active hospital presence, close specialist relationships, clinical rigor, and unhurried care is what makes Riviera Concierge Medicine different.

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Schedule a consultation. Dr. Pande is happy to answer anything not covered here.
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