Patient Policies
Cancellations
Please call the office 24 hours in advance to cancel appointments. We understand that emergencies and scheduling conflicts arise which may require patients to need to reschedule their appointment, and we are happy to do this for you. However, failure to show up for three appointments, without cancellation, will result in patients being dismissed from the physician practice.
Late Policy
We are committed to prompt service, and will work very hard, barring emergencies, to stay on time. We may ask you to reschedule if you arrive for your appointment more than 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment. Please arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your appointment to complete any paperwork associated with your visit.
Referrals
Please call 3 days in advance of your appointment to start the referral process. We will need to have the following information:
• The patient’s name
• The name of the physician to whom patient is being referred
• The referring physician’s phone and fax numbers
• The date of the appointment
• The diagnosis
• Insurance information
• If it is for an office visit or procedure
• Where the procedure will be held (office or name of the hospital)
Please let us know if you need a copy of your referral to take with you as it is not customary for us to mail referrals to physicians. If you are unsure of what is necessary for your referral, you may check with your insurance carrier or call our staff for assistance.
Prescriptions
Please call the office at least 48 hours in advance for all medication refills. Calls for prescriptions received after 12 p.m. will be addressed the following day after 2 p.m. Calls received after 12 p.m. on Friday will be returned after 2 p.m. on the following Monday. When you call, you may be asked to leave a message in the prescription voice mailbox. If that is the case, please leave the following information:
• The patient’s full name
• The patient’s date of birth
• Name of the medicine – you may spell it out if necessary
• Specify if this supply is for 1 month, 3 months, or another time period
• Your phone number
• Name, location and phone number of your pharmacy
Prior Authorizations for Prescriptions
If your insurance provider requires a prior authorization (PA) for one of your medications, they need additional information before approving to pay for the medicine. Please contact our clinic if the pharmacist tells you that a PA is needed. You can also find out if a medication is covered or requires a PA by contacting your insurance provider. Please understand that your insurance company will make the final decision on whether or not your PA will be approved. If your PA is denied, you will have the option of paying for the medication in full or trying a lower cost medication that will be covered by your insurance. The following types of drugs commonly require prior authorization:
• Medications with harmful side effects
• Medications that can be harmful when combined with other drugs
• Medications that should only be used for certain health conditions
• Medications that can be abused
• Medications that are prescribed when a less expensive drug can have the same effect
Emergencies and On Call
If you have an emergency, such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath, severe headache or bleeding, call 911 or proceed directly to the nearest hospital emergency room.
You can always call the office with any questions about acute medical problems after hours. If the physician is not in the office, you can leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. If it is after hours, the physician answering service will direct you on how to reach the physician on call. If the doctor on call does not answer your call within 30 minutes, please call the office again.
Records Releases
To obtain your records from a previous physician or specialist, please ask our staff for the proper form. You may also review our Practice Privacy Policy at that time.
If you have any questions regarding these office policies, please contact our office.