California High Desert patient guide · Updated August 2026
Navigate Choice Medical Group Doctors, Referrals and Care Without Unnecessary Delays
Choice Medical Group is a physician-owned medical network serving California’s High Desert. Patients use the network for primary care, specialist coordination, urgent care, preventive services, wellness support and help understanding their managed-care benefits.
This guide explains the full patient path inside one page: how to select a doctor, schedule correctly, use FollowMyHealth, handle a referral, verify insurance, prepare for urgent care, request records, obtain language assistance and contact the right department.
HIGH DESERT CARE NETWORK
CONNECTED
Confirm the organization before signing in. This guide covers Choice Medical Group at choicemg.com, headquartered in Apple Valley and serving the High Desert. A separate medical practice using a similar name operates from Lemon Grove, California, and uses a different website, telephone number and model of care.
Emergency warning: Call 911 for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, possible stroke, major trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, severe allergic reaction or another condition that may threaten life or permanent function.
Service area
California High Desert and San Bernardino County communities.
Established
Choice Medical Group traces its history to 1990.
Patient support
Member Services helps with doctors, referrals and benefits.
Portal
Participating offices use FollowMyHealth.
Main location
19111 Town Center Drive, Apple Valley.
Start with the correct destination
Which Choice Medical Group service solves your problem?
PRIMARY CARE OFFICE
Routine, preventive or ongoing medical need
Start with your assigned primary care physician for preventive visits, ongoing conditions, medication management, routine illness and most specialist referrals.
Best for: annual care, diabetes, blood pressure, medication follow-up, non-urgent symptoms and referral planning.
URGENT CARE
Same-day problem that is not life-threatening
Use urgent care when your primary care office has no timely opening or when a non-emergency problem occurs after normal office hours.
Best for: fever, cold symptoms, earache, minor burns, rashes, vomiting, minor cuts, minor sprains and moderate pain.
911 OR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
Symptoms may threaten life or permanent function
Emergency care is the correct choice when waiting for an office call, portal response or urgent-care visit could be dangerous.
Use immediately for: chest pain, stroke warning signs, severe breathing trouble, major injury or uncontrolled bleeding.
High Desert care shortcut: Call your primary care office first during business hours. Ask whether it has a same-day opening. Use an approved urgent-care facility when the office cannot see you promptly and the problem is not an emergency.
Avoid the wrong organization
Which Choice Medical Group are you trying to reach?
Use choicemg.com when
- Your doctor is in Apple Valley, Victorville, Hesperia, Barstow, Adelanto or the surrounding High Desert.
- Your paperwork mentions Choice Physicians Network or Horizon Valley Medical Group.
- Your member-service number begins with 760-242-7777.
- Your portal or physician office refers to FollowMyHealth.
You may have the separate Lemon Grove practice when
- Your care is primarily delivered in your home or residential facility.
- Your address is in Lemon Grove or the San Diego area.
- Your paperwork lists an 888-628-6680 main number.
- Your services include mobile home visits, home-based wound care or mobile diagnostic services.
Safety check: Compare the physician name, city, website domain and telephone number on your insurance card, authorization letter or appointment confirmation before sharing health or payment information.
Plain-English explanation
What Choice Medical Group does as an IPA
Choice Medical Group operates as an independent physician association, often called an IPA. An IPA is a network of independent doctors and medical practices that contract together with health plans.
PCP
Primary care coordination
Your primary care physician manages routine care and often starts specialist referrals.
AUTH
Referral and authorization routing
The network and health plan determine which specialist and facility can be used under the benefit.
NET
Contracted provider network
Care must generally stay within the contracted network unless the plan approves an exception.
Important distinction: Choice Medical Group is not automatically the same as your health insurance company. Your health plan determines benefits and coverage. Choice Medical Group coordinates care through its contracted physicians and facilities.
Who handles each part of managed care?
| Need |
Best first contact |
What that office controls |
| Routine medical care |
Primary care physician |
Examinations, treatment plans, prescriptions and referral recommendations. |
| Specialist authorization |
Referring physician office |
Submission of clinical information and referral status follow-up. |
| Network navigation |
Choice Member Services |
General network guidance and help locating participating resources. |
| Benefit or copay question |
Health plan |
Covered benefits, deductibles, copays, exclusions and appeal procedures. |
| Appointment time |
Individual physician office |
Scheduling, arrival instructions and appointment availability. |
First 30 days
New Choice Medical Group member checklist
Verify the effective date
Confirm when Choice Medical Group and your selected primary care physician become active on your health-plan record.
Confirm the assigned physician
Compare the doctor listed by the health plan with the physician you intended to choose.
Call the physician office
Confirm that the office has received your assignment and is accepting appointments under your exact plan.
Transfer important records
Request medication lists, recent laboratory results, imaging reports, specialist notes and active treatment plans from prior providers.
Schedule medication-sensitive care early
Do not wait until a prescription is nearly empty to establish care with a new physician.
Request portal access
Ask whether the physician participates in FollowMyHealth and provide the email and photo identification needed for enrollment.
Learn the after-hours route
Save the physician office number, approved urgent-care information, Member Services number and nearest emergency department.
New-member call script
“My health plan shows Choice Medical Group effective [date] and assigns me to Dr. [name]. Can you confirm that the office has my assignment, accepts my exact plan, is taking new patients, and can schedule an establishing-care visit? I also need instructions for transferring records and registering for FollowMyHealth.”
Provider selection
How to choose a Choice Medical Group primary care doctor
Office is accepting new patients
Doctor accepts your exact health-plan product
Location is practical for repeat visits
Office hours fit your schedule
Provider treats your age group
Spoken language meets your needs
Hospital affiliation fits your care needs
Office provides portal access
After-hours instructions are clear
Accessibility and transportation needs are met
High Desert location strategy
Apple Valley
Useful for patients near Town Center Drive, Highway 18 and several network medical plazas.
Victorville
Includes practices and services around Hesperia Road, Business Center Drive and Palmdale Road.
Hesperia and Barstow
Confirm travel time, specialist location and whether required tests are performed locally or in another High Desert city.
Local planning tip: Select a primary care office you can reach consistently, not merely the doctor with the shortest initial wait. Chronic-care visits, medication checks, laboratory follow-up and referrals may require several trips each year.
Appointment workflow
How to schedule a Choice Medical Group appointment
Choice Medical Group instructs patients to schedule by calling the physician office directly. Member Services can help locate the correct provider, but it does not replace the physician office’s scheduling process.
Identify the correct physician office
Use the provider directory or your insurance card to confirm the assigned primary care physician.
State whether you are new or established
New-patient appointments may require more time and different forms than a routine follow-up.
Describe the need briefly
Explain whether the appointment is preventive, medication-related, post-hospital, injury-related or for a new symptom.
Give the complete insurance name
Read the plan, product and network name exactly as printed on the card.
Ask what records are required
Confirm whether outside imaging, laboratory results, medication records or hospital discharge papers are needed.
Confirm the location and suite
Similar physician and facility names may exist in different High Desert plazas.
Ask about expected payment
Verify the office copay, deductible status and accepted payment method before arrival.
Save cancellation instructions
Ask how much notice the office requires to avoid a missed-appointment charge.
Appointment call script
“I am a [new/existing] Choice Medical Group patient assigned to Dr. [name]. I need an appointment for [brief reason]. My plan is [full plan and network]. What is the earliest appropriate visit, what should I bring, and do I need to complete forms or transfer records before arrival?”
Managed-care referral path
How Choice Medical Group referrals and authorizations usually work
Primary care evaluation
The primary care physician evaluates the concern and documents why specialist care, imaging, therapy or another service may be needed.
Referral request submission
The physician office sends the clinical information required for network and health-plan review.
Medical-necessity and benefit review
The request is evaluated against the member’s coverage and applicable clinical criteria.
Authorization decision
An approval normally identifies the specialist, facility, approved service and validity period.
Specialist scheduling
Schedule only after confirming that the specialist has received the authorization and records.
Follow-up returns to primary care
The primary care physician remains responsible for coordinating ongoing treatment and reviewing specialist recommendations.
Authorization number
Approved specialist or facility
Approved service or procedure
Number of visits approved
Start and expiration dates
Records sent to specialist
An authorization is not a promise of zero cost. A service may be authorized but still require a copay, coinsurance or deductible under the health-plan benefit.
The specialist has no referral
Call the referring physician office and confirm the destination, authorization number and date sent.
The authorization is expiring
Ask whether the specialist can schedule before expiration or whether the referring office must request an extension.
You were approved for the wrong location
Do not assume another office is interchangeable. Request correction before receiving non-emergency care.
The request was denied
Obtain the written reason, the criteria used, appeal instructions and information about alternative covered care.
Referral-status call script
“My referral for [specialty or service] was requested on [date]. Please confirm whether it was submitted, whether additional records are needed, the authorization status, approved provider, approved visits and expiration date.”
FollowMyHealth access
How the Choice Medical Group patient portal works
Choice Medical Group uses FollowMyHealth for participating physician offices. Portal functions can differ by provider, so the exact records and tools visible in one office may not appear in another.
MSG
Routine messages
Send non-emergency questions to a participating provider office.
REC
Available health information
Review records and results that the connected office releases to the portal.
PRO
Provider connection
Select the appropriate provider organization before sending a message.
Portal registration steps
Ask the physician office to enroll you
Provide an active personal email address and the identity information requested by the office.
Present photo identification
Choice Medical Group explains that email and photo-ID verification are used to protect patient information.
Open the invitation
Use the link in the registration email and confirm that it connects to the correct physician organization.
Create or connect an account
Follow the identity-verification steps and save the login method used.
Select the provider before messaging
Confirm the intended provider name and office before sending clinical details.
Check the outbox
A successfully sent message should appear in the portal outbox.
Response-time expectation: Choice Medical Group says portal responses typically arrive within 72 business hours. Messages are not monitored on weekends.
Never use portal messaging for an emergency. Call the physician office for a time-sensitive medical issue and call 911 when the condition may be life-threatening.
Portal troubleshooting
What to do when FollowMyHealth does not work
No invitation arrived
Check spam and confirm the email address recorded by the physician office. Ask the office to resend the invitation.
The wrong provider appears
Do not send the message. Return to the provider-selection screen or contact the office for connection help.
A test result is missing
The office may not have released it to the portal. Contact the ordering physician for status and interpretation.
No reply after 72 business hours
Confirm that the message appears in the outbox, then call the physician office.
You sent a message on Friday evening
Weekend time does not count as monitored business time. Call when the issue cannot safely wait.
Your email or telephone changed
Ask the physician office to update the patient record before attempting repeated account recovery.
You need access for another person
Request the office’s authorized proxy-access process. Do not share passwords.
You need the complete legal record
Use a formal medical-record release. Portal content may not represent the complete designated record set.
Same-day non-emergency care
Choice Urgent Care and approved after-hours options
Additional after-hours options published by Choice Medical Group
| Facility |
Address |
Phone |
Published schedule |
| Dr. Mike’s Walk-In Clinic |
716 East Main Street, Barstow |
760-256-6426 |
Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. |
| Meridian Urgent Care and Occupational Health |
705 East Virginia Way, Suite N, Barstow, CA 92311 |
760-255-3200 |
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. |
| Choice Urgent Care |
13010 Hesperia Road, Suite 600, Victorville, CA 92395 |
760-946-5888 |
Daily 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. |
Before driving: Call to confirm current hours, health-plan participation, age restrictions and whether the facility can evaluate the specific problem.
Use emergency services instead of urgent care for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, possible stroke, major trauma, severe burns, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness or rapidly worsening symptoms.
Coverage verification
How to confirm insurance with Choice Medical Group
Choice Medical Group says most health plans are accepted. That statement does not mean every product, physician, facility or service is covered.
Read the complete plan name
Use the insurer, product, network and member identification exactly as printed on the card.
Confirm the medical-group assignment
Ask the health plan whether Choice Medical Group is active for the date of service.
Confirm the primary care assignment
Verify that the intended physician appears as the assigned or participating primary care provider.
Verify the exact location
A doctor may work at more than one site, and not every location necessarily participates identically.
Ask whether authorization is required
Confirm referral, prior-authorization and network requirements before specialist care, imaging, therapy or procedures.
Request a cost estimate
Ask the health plan for the expected copay, deductible or coinsurance and obtain a call-reference number.
Insurance call script
“My medical group is Choice Medical Group. I plan to see [provider] at [exact address] for [service] on [date]. Is the medical group, physician, facility and service in network under my exact plan? Do I need a referral or authorization, and what is my expected patient cost?”
Best proof: Record the representative’s name, call date, reference number, confirmed provider address and authorization requirement. Keep this with the appointment confirmation.
Medical-record transfer
How to request or transfer Choice Medical Group medical records
Identify the office that maintains the record
Choice Medical Group is a physician network. The individual physician practice may maintain the actual clinical chart.
Download the release form
Use the Medical Records Release form from the patient-forms section.
Enter complete patient information
Include the legal name, former name when relevant, birth date, address and telephone number.
Name the releasing provider
Identify the physician, practice, hospital or facility currently holding the records.
Request only what is needed
Specify visit notes, laboratory results, imaging reports, medication records, specialist reports or the complete chart.
Use a clear date range
A narrowly defined period may make the request easier to process and review.
Name the recipient exactly
Include the physician, practice, address, fax number or other approved delivery detail.
Sign and submit to the record holder
Ask the physician office where the completed form must be sent and how long processing normally takes.
Referral tip: A referral authorization and a medical-record transfer are separate tasks. A specialist may have authorization to see you but still lack the notes, test results or imaging needed for the visit.
Records follow-up script
“I submitted a signed records request on [date] for records from [date range] to be sent to [recipient]. Can you confirm that the request is complete, whether an additional authorization or fee is required, and the expected delivery method and date?”
Free communication support
Interpreter, TDD and accessibility assistance
Request assistance when scheduling
State the preferred spoken or signed language and the appointment date.
Ask whether assistance is in person or remote
The method may depend on language, office and appointment type.
Request translated health-plan materials
The insurance company may provide translated benefit and medication information without charge.
Do not rely on a child as interpreter
Ask for qualified language assistance when discussing diagnosis, consent, medication or treatment decisions.
Practical request wording: “I need a free interpreter in [language] for my appointment on [date] with [provider]. Please record the request and tell me whether the interpreter will be in person, by video or by telephone.”
Senior support
Choice Medical Group senior programs and wellness resources
65+
Senior Helpline
Medicare questions, program guidance and community-resource navigation.
SK
Senior Kicks Club
Exercise, crafts, education, health screenings and social activities for the senior community.
HW
Health education
Programs may include diabetes education, nutrition support and wellness activities.
Verify before attending: Class schedules, eligibility, locations and enrollment requirements can change. Call the relevant program before traveling.
Patient protections
How to raise a care, access or discrimination concern
Contact the physician office for a service problem
Ask for the office manager when the issue concerns scheduling, communication, records or an office interaction.
Contact Member Services for network help
Explain the problem, dates, provider, attempted resolution and the specific outcome requested.
File a health-plan grievance or appeal
Coverage denials, benefit disputes and many access complaints must be filed through the member’s health plan.
Escalate urgent HMO concerns
Choice Medical Group directs members to California’s Department of Managed Health Care Help Center when a health problem presents a serious threat or an HMO fails to issue a timely decision.
Document the timeline
Save letters, authorizations, portal messages, call-reference numbers, names, dates and promised next steps.
Complaint summary template
“I am reporting a concern involving [provider or department] on [date]. The issue is [brief factual description]. I contacted [office] on [dates] and was told [response]. This affects [care, access, billing, privacy or communication]. I am requesting [specific correction or next action].”
Avoid common mistakes
Problems that cause High Desert patients the most delay
Calling the administrative office for an appointment
The individual physician office normally controls scheduling. Use Member Services when you do not know which office to call.
Assuming every doctor accepts every plan
Confirm the exact health-plan product, network, physician and location.
Scheduling a specialist before authorization
The specialist may cancel the appointment or bill differently when required approval is missing.
Bringing only an authorization number
The specialist may also need referral notes, laboratory results and imaging reports.
Sending urgent symptoms through FollowMyHealth
Messages may take up to 72 business hours and are not monitored on weekends.
Driving to the administrative office for medical care
The Town Center Drive administrative address is not automatically the location of your physician appointment.
Using the wrong Choice Medical Group website
Compare the Apple Valley High Desert organization with the unrelated Lemon Grove practice.
Waiting until medicine runs out
Establish care and request routine refills early enough for office review, testing or authorization.
Administrative headquarters
Choice Medical Group Apple Valley map
Choice Medical Group Administrative Office
19111 Town Center Drive
Apple Valley, CA 92308
Main telephone: 760-242-7777
This is an administrative address. Do not assume your doctor, laboratory, specialist or urgent-care appointment occurs here. Use the exact address and suite in the appointment confirmation.
Patient questions answered
Choice Medical Group frequently asked questions
Which Choice Medical Group does this guide cover?
This guide covers the High Desert medical network headquartered in Apple Valley, California. It does not cover the separate Lemon Grove home-based practice.
What is Choice Medical Group?
It is a physician-owned and physician-directed independent physician association that coordinates care through contracted primary care doctors, specialists and medical facilities.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Call the selected physician office directly. Member Services can help identify the correct doctor and office but generally does not control the physician’s appointment schedule.
What is the Member Services number?
Call 760-242-7777 extension 815 or 855-834-4855. Published hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Does Choice Medical Group have a portal?
Participating physician offices use FollowMyHealth. Available functions and records can vary by provider.
How long does a portal response take?
Choice Medical Group says responses generally arrive within 72 business hours. Messages are not monitored on weekends.
Where is Choice Urgent Care?
It is at 13010 Hesperia Road, Suite 600, Victorville, CA 92395. Suite 600 is behind the main building. Call 760-946-5888.
What are Choice Urgent Care hours?
The published schedule is daily from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Call before traveling because hours can change.
Does urgent care require an appointment?
Choice Medical Group describes its urgent-care options as walk-in care for non-life-threatening conditions. Confirm the current process before arrival.
Does Choice Medical Group accept my insurance?
The organization says most health plans are accepted, but coverage depends on the exact product, physician, location and service. Verify with Member Services and the health plan.
How do specialist referrals work?
Begin with the primary care physician unless your plan permits direct access. Confirm the approved specialist, service, visits and expiration date before scheduling.
Are interpreter services available?
Yes. Call 760-242-7777 extension 224 for free multilingual assistance. TDD and TTY assistance is available at 760-242-4800.
How do I transfer medical records?
Use the Medical Records Release form and submit it to the physician office or facility that maintains the records. Specify the date range, record type and recipient.
What is the Senior Helpline?
Call 760-338-0914 for Medicare questions, senior programs and Senior Kicks Club information.
Final live actions
Official Choice Medical Group patient tools
The important procedures are explained above. Use these official pages when you are ready to complete a live doctor search, portal registration, form download or location check.
