Our Practice

Health Care Appointments & Other Considerations

An appointment is needed to be seen. Please call us in advance so that time may be reserved for you. If you need to be seen on short notice and have not scheduled an appointment, please call our office to find out how we may accommodate you. Emergencies will be dealt with immediately. If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, call us at least 24 hours in advance of your appointment to reschedule. A $50.00 fee is charged for appointments that are not canceled 24 hours in advance. Also, there is a fee to complete forms that are not done during an office visit. This fee can range from $15.00 to $35.00 depending on the type of form. There is also a $15.00- $25.00 fee for any letter requests.

Please note that if you are under 18 years old, you need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian or have a note from them permitting us to see you.

We ask you to please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete registration materials, update your insurance records, and pay any required co-pays. We update your health records and medication list at the time of your appointment and prepare you for your visit with the doctor. Please know the name, dosage, and how often you take each medication. We suggest that you write all of this down before you come in. Be sure to include all nonprescription medications, such as laxatives, herbal supplements, vitamins, etc.

Payment

Payment is required at the time of the visit. If we participate with your insurance company, we collect your co-payment or deductible at the time of the visit. We accept cash, checks, Master Card, VISA, and Discover.

If your health care plan requires a deductible be met before benefits are paid, you will be required to pay 50% of your total charges at your office visit when you check out. We will bill you for any balance once your insurance has processed the claim. If there has been an overpayment, we will refund you the difference. If your health insurance plan does not require a deductible, we will continue to collect your copayment at check in as usual.

Insurance

We participate in most major health insurance and health maintenance organization (HMO) programs. If you are unsure about coverage, please call our office to confirm our participation. As a courtesy, we file all insurance claims. Please remember though that because all insurance contracts are between the patient and the insurance company, you are ultimately responsible for payment. We recommend you become familiar with the following aspects of your health insurance policy:

Coverage
Limitations

Payments
Regulations

Referrals
Pre-Authorization

Referrals

Your condition determines if you require care outside of our office and whether it involves a specialty referral, emergency treatment, hospitalization, or diagnostic testing. Unless you have an emergency, we prefer that you contact our office before seeking care elsewhere; we will assist you in obtaining the medical care you need. If necessary, we will refer you to a specialist. Please allow a minimum of two working days to accomplish this.

Prescriptions

Please call and inform your pharmacist that you need a refill. We strongly recommend that you contact your pharmacist 48 hours in advance of when you need your refill and during our office hours. Be prepared to provide the prescription number and other information on the label. Ask the pharmacist to fax the request to our office. Prescriptions for antibiotics, pain medicines, or other non-routine medications require an office visit so that a review of your chart and an examination may be completed to determine the appropriate course of care and proper medications better.

Medical Records & Release Of Information

We maintain strict confidentiality of the information contained in your medical record. The information contained in your medical record will not be released to anyone without your written permission as directed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to assure confidentiality.

In addition, we review every lab and diagnostic test returned to the office and notify you of the results. Please contact our office if you have not received notification within one week of your test. We encourage you to sign up for our portal so that you have direct access to your test results.