OFFICE POLICIES:
Office Hours and Appointments
Office hours for patient care are Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 12 noon. As a courtesy we will send you a reminder by email one week prior to your appointment and a text message to your mobile phone number one day in advance. We will be happy to work with you if you need to reschedule. Should you need to cancel or change your appointment, we ask for at least 24 hours’ notice, otherwise a $50.00 missed appointment fee will be charged.
For new patients please arrive 30 minutes, and for established patients 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment. This allows our practitioners to stay on time and prevents long waits. If you arrive late for your appointment, we will determine whether you can be worked in or if you need to reschedule. If you know you are going to be more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, please call ahead to check availability of a later appointment. In case of after-hours emergency concerns, you will reach the answering service by dialing the office number (703)938-8885.
After Hours Telephone Calls
In case of emergency, please call 911 and go to the nearest emergency room for immediate evaluation and medical care. After 5 p.m., weekdays and on the weekends and holidays an answering service is available for urgent concerns. Please limit after-hours calls to urgent matters and emergencies only.
Prescription Refills
We encourage you to obtain all your prescriptions during your office visit. You should always bring a complete and up to date list of your medication and what needs to be refilled. Please allow 72 hours if your pharmacy is faxing a refill request for your medication. In order to authorize each refill request that is not obtained at the time of the office visit, the physician or nurse practitioner will need to review the patient’s medical information including possible adverse effect or drug interaction. This obviously will take time.
We will electronically submit or fax back a refill request to your local or mail-order pharmacy. We are not able to refill your prescriptions after office hours or during weekends and holidays unless there is an emergency.
Refills involve a review of your medical records and may require periodic reevaluation which may include laboratory testing. We may not be able to provide you with refills, if you have not had proper follow-up or laboratory tests recommended to assure that continuation of the prescribed drug is safe.
Payments
• Co-pay/Co-insurance Fees and Deductibles
You will be asked to pay your co-pay, deductible and/ or co-insurance fees required by your insurance company at the time of your appointment or procedure. If you do not we may have to reschedule an appointment.
• Self-pay
If you do not have insurance (“self-pay”) or have insurance that is not contracted with us, you should discuss the fees with one of our financial counselors prior to scheduling an appointment. She will prepare an estimated cost of services and will make appropriate arrangement.
• Cancellation Fee
If you must cancel your appointment, kindly provide a 24 hours’ notice, so another patient may be fit in to your time slot. A $50 no show/ missed appointment fee will be added to your bill, if advanced notice is not given.
• Payment Options
Cash, check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and discover.
Regarding You Bill
We hope information on this web site will assist you in preparation of your visit and understanding your financial obligations. Having and understanding this information, will allow you to focus on your health care needs. Please let us know if we can answer any additional questions to make the financial side of your experience with us as easy as possible, so you can focus on your health and wellness.
Referral and Authorizations
Health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and some managed care plans require a referral from your primary care physician for specialty care. Since there is wide variation in the requirement of these organizations, it is your responsibility to know the limitations and requirements and obtain necessary referrals; otherwise you may be responsible for payment. Your appointment may need to be rescheduled if you do not provide the appropriate approval. If you are enrolled in one of the HMOs that we participate in, please make sure to bring an appropriate referral for your evaluation or special procedure.
Medicare
We are a participating provider for Medicare. Medicare requires us to obtain informed consent signatures from patients undergoing procedures which may not be covered by Medicare. For this purpose you may be asked to sign an “Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN)”.
Insurance Claims and Fee Payments
We participate with a wide range of insurance companies. We are fully computerized for billing purposes, using the latest technology in electronic billing capabilities. If you have any questions regarding our participation with your insurance company, you can verify that information with our office.
We try to keep our costs of medical care to you as low as possible. Our reception staff is instructed to collect your co-payments, deductible and co-insurance amounts at the time of your visit. This reduces our paperwork and the need to bill later.
Should we need to bill you after services are provided, we appreciate it if you expedite the payment of any outstanding balance. It is your responsibility to pay the deductible amount, coinsurance, or any other balance not paid for by your insurance company.