Membership & consultation FAQs

Premier Membership is Riviera Cardiology Concierge’s flagship private cardiology offering for patients and families who want direct physician communication, priority scheduling, proactive check-ins, and ongoing cardiovascular guidance.

Premier includes longer, less rushed visits; medication and cardiovascular record review; review of blood pressure logs, wearable/device data, and outside testing; prevention and treatment planning; and coordination with other treating clinicians when appropriate. It also includes a scheduled annual cardiovascular review that may take place at your home or residence when appropriate and within the local service area.

Support during hospitalization, procedures, and transitions of care is provided when feasible. Specific services and access arrangements are described in your membership agreement.

Membership provides direct physician communication, with priority scheduling and expanded communication through Premier. Contact the practice for the available channels and access arrangements. This is not an emergency response service; call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for an emergency.

A Standard Membership option may be available upon request for patients who want a more limited ongoing relationship. Contact the practice to discuss whether it would fit your needs.

Insurance-based medicine often limits time, access, and communication. Riviera Cardiology Concierge is structured to allow longer visits, deeper discussion, proactive planning, and easier communication between visits.

The goal is to provide a more thoughtful and accessible cardiology experience.

Yes, when appropriate. Premier includes a scheduled annual cardiovascular review that may take place at your home or residence within the local service area. The practice will discuss location and suitability with you in advance. Home or residence-based visits are scheduled and are not intended for urgent or emergency care.

Riviera Cardiology Concierge is based in Santa Barbara and serves patients in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Hope Ranch, Goleta, Summerland, and Carpinteria. Home or residence-based review depends on suitability and location; contact the practice to confirm arrangements for your address.

The review may include your cardiovascular history, medications, blood pressure readings, wearable/device data, outside records and testing, treatment options, and long-term prevention priorities. Reviewing device data does not imply continuous or real-time monitoring.

Yes. A standalone cardiovascular consultation may be available for a focused second opinion, annual cardiovascular review, or deeper discussion of test results and treatment options. The consultation costs $1,000 and is a discrete service.

No. A standalone consultation does not include ongoing physician access, urgent care, longitudinal management, hospital support, or concierge membership. Contact the practice to discuss the scope of the consultation before scheduling.

Patients who enroll in membership within 60 days of the consultation may receive a $500 credit toward their first-year membership fee. Please confirm eligibility and the applicable terms with the practice.

No. Riviera Cardiology Concierge is a private-pay cardiology practice. We do not participate with commercial insurance plans, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medi-Cal, or other government insurance programs.

This allows the practice to focus on access, communication, education, and individualized cardiovascular care rather than insurance-driven visit limits, documentation requirements, and prior authorization constraints.

No. We do not bill insurance companies directly, and we do not submit claims on a patient’s behalf.

Membership fees and any direct practice fees are paid directly to Riviera Cardiology Concierge.

You may contact your insurance company to ask whether any portion of your expenses may be reimbursable, but we cannot guarantee reimbursement.
In general, concierge membership fees are typically not covered by insurance. Some insurers may consider reimbursement for certain specific medical services depending on your out-of-network benefits, plan rules, and documentation requirements, but this varies widely by plan.

We provide receipts for payments made to the practice, but we do not provide insurance billing services or guarantee that our fees are reimbursable by your insurer.

No. Riviera Cardiology Concierge does not bill Medicare. Neither Riviera Cardiology Concierge nor Dr. Goyal are enrolled as Medicare providers.

For Medicare beneficiaries, this means Medicare will not pay for services provided directly by the practice. Medicare beneficiaries who become concierge members will be asked to sign the required Medicare private contract acknowledging that the practice does not bill Medicare and that Medicare will not reimburse the patient for services provided directly by the practice.

Yes. Medicare beneficiaries may join the practice, but they must sign the required Medicare private contract before receiving services directly from the practice.
That contract acknowledges that the patient accepts financial responsibility for the practice’s charges, that Medicare limits do not apply to what the practice may charge, and that neither the practice nor the patient will submit claims to Medicare for services provided under the private contract.

You should check with your tax advisor, HSA/FSA administrator, or benefits plan before using those funds.

Because concierge membership fees can be treated differently from specific medical services, Riviera Cardiology Concierge cannot advise whether your membership fee or any other practice fee is HSA- or FSA-eligible.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Riviera Cardiology Concierge does not replace emergency medical services, emergency department care, or hospital-based care.

After you have obtained emergency care, you or your family may contact the practice so that Dr. Goyal can help with communication, records review, and follow-up planning when appropriate.

If you are hospitalized, your hospital care will be provided through the hospital, emergency department, hospitalists, inpatient cardiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other facility-based clinicians as appropriate.

Riviera Cardiology Concierge is designed to provide continuity, advocacy, communication, and cardiovascular guidance during those episodes, but it does not replace emergency care or hospital-based medical services.

Depending on your membership tier, the hospital, the clinical situation, Dr. Goyal’s hospital privileges, the location of the hospital, and Dr. Goyal’s availability, Dr. Goyal may visit you in the hospital, communicate with your hospital team, review your cardiovascular history, help clarify the plan, and assist with follow-up after discharge.

Hospital involvement is subject to hospital policies, physician privileges, availability, and the clinical circumstances of the hospitalization.

No. In most cases, hospital admissions are managed by the hospital’s admitting physicians, hospitalists, emergency physicians, or inpatient specialists.

Dr. Goyal’s role is to help support continuity and cardiovascular decision-making, not to replace the hospital team.

Yes. Hospital, emergency room, lab, imaging, facility, anesthesia, hospitalist, and other inpatient charges are separate from your membership with Riviera Cardiology Concierge.

Those services are billed by the hospital, facility, or other clinicians according to their own insurance contracts and billing practices.

Yes. Hospital-based care is separate from Riviera Cardiology Concierge. You may receive bills from the hospital, facility, emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, hospitalists, consultants, or other clinicians involved in your care.

Your membership fee does not cover hospital facility charges, emergency room charges, inpatient physician charges, procedures, imaging, lab testing, medications, or other third-party services.

No. Riviera Cardiology Concierge is a cardiology practice, not a primary care practice. Riviera Cardiology Concierge focuses on cardiovascular prevention, diagnosis, treatment planning, risk assessment, second opinions, longitudinal heart care, and coordination with your broader medical team.

You should continue to maintain a relationship with your primary care physician for general preventive care, non-cardiac medical issues, vaccinations, age-appropriate cancer screening, and routine primary care needs.

Yes. A major goal of the practice is better communication and coordination. With your permission, we can communicate with your primary care physician, specialists, hospital physicians, and other members of your care team.

Yes. You are always free to seek care from any physician or specialist. If you need a subspecialty cardiology opinion, electrophysiology care, interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, advanced imaging, or another specialized service, Dr. Goyal can help guide and coordinate referrals.

Yes, with the patient’s permission. When appropriate, Dr. Goyal can communicate with family members or care partners to help explain cardiovascular recommendations and coordinate next steps with the treating team.

No. Procedures, hospital services, facility fees, imaging studies, lab tests, medications, and services provided by outside clinicians or facilities are not included in the membership fee.

If you need testing or a procedure, Dr. Goyal will help guide you through the decision-making process and coordinate care, but the actual service may be billed separately by the hospital, imaging center, lab, procedural facility, or treating clinician.

Yes, you should expect that any hospital-based procedures may generate separate bills. These may include facility charges, professional fees including charges from radiologists and pathologists, anesthesia, imaging, pathology, device-related charges, lab charges, and other services connected with the procedure.

Those charges are separate from your membership fee and are billed by the hospital, facility, or clinicians involved in the procedure. For non-urgent procedures, patients are encouraged to ask the hospital or facility in advance how the procedure will be billed and whether the relevant clinicians and facility are in-network.

Outside tests ordered through an outside facility may be billed by that facility to your insurance or Medicare, depending on your insurance plan and the facility’s contracts and status as a Medicare provider if you are covered by Medicare.
Riviera Cardiology Concierge does not control whether an outside facility, hospital, imaging center, or lab is in-network with your insurance or Medicare. Patients are encouraged to confirm coverage directly with their insurance plan before completing any non-urgent testing.

It depends on your insurance or Medicare plan, deductible, network, and the facility performing the test.

The practice fee covers Dr. Goyal’s professional time, access, communication, care planning, and care coordination. It does not include third-party testing, facility charges, or services provided by outside clinicians.

The office is at 8 West Victoria St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Call 805-500-4556 for appointment information. Get driving directions.

There are several convenient parking options near the office. Curbside space immediately in front of the office is designated for commercial loading and unloading, but it may be used briefly for patient drop-off or pick-up where permitted. A few 15-minute parking spaces are also located nearby, though they are often occupied.

For appointments, the most reliable options are the private metered lot behind the Santa Barbara Public Market or the City public parking lot at Victoria Court, also known as Lot 5, located across the street at the corner of Victoria and Chapala. Check posted signs for current parking limits, rates, and drop-off restrictions.