Office Policies
Appointments
To help us expedite your office visit, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. You will be asked to fill out updates to your medical history and insurance information. You are responsible to make absolutely sure that these forms are amended correctly.
It is also your responsibility to bring your insurance information with you at the time of your appointment. If you do not have your insurance information with you, you will be given the choice of paying for the service or rescheduling your appointment. All co-payments must be paid prior to being seen.
We apologize when we fall behind but emergencies do occur and we do our best to accommodate all of our patients. You may call ahead to see if we are running on time. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so that we may accommodate another patient.
Phone Calls
Our phones are answered in the office between 9AM and 5PM. Calls that are non-emergencies should be made during these hours. Due to the high volume of telephone traffic, we ask for your patience and understanding.
If you are having medical problems our triage nurse, who is trained to handle many routine situations directly, will assist you. She has direct access to your medical records and is in constant contact with a physician.
Your physician reviews all test results. Please allow time for this review. Your physician will contact you if necessary.
Questions regarding the scheduling of surgery, a disability form, a referral, insurance coverage, billing and account balances will all be directed to the appropriate staff member in our insurance department.
Medical Records
All requests for the release of medical records must be in writing. Allow 7-10 business days for them to be processed. You can download a records release document from the Registration Forms link on this site. According to NYSDOH law, we have the right to charge $0.75 per page. No medical information, written or verbal, will be given to anyone other than the patient in accordance with state and federal regulations.
Prescriptions & Refills
Requests for prescriptions and refills will be handled by our triage nurse daily, Monday-Friday. Please have your pharmacy name and phone number available when you call. If there is a problem the triage nurse will call you, otherwise check with your pharmacy at the end of the business day.
Referrals
It is your responsibility to notify the office if you need a referral at least one week prior to your appointment. Referrals will not be faxed. You must pick up your referral at the front desk during regular business hours. Your insurance company does not allow us to backdate referrals!
Fees
Our billing office staff is happy to answer all questions regarding our fees and billing statements, however we are not able to help you with bills from outside facilities even though they are for tests ordered by one of our physicians. You must call the correct billing agency. Please read your bill carefully.
As you know, medical costs are rising at a rapid rate. In our effort toward cost containment, we require payment at the time of service. If you belong to an HMO, payment of your co-pay is mandatory and is the law.
It is your responsibility to satisfy the financial obligation for services rendered. As much as we do not like to do it, we will take action to recover past due accounts when previously "agreed-to" arrangements are not honored. Overpayments are refunded in a timely fashion.
Insurance
It is your responsibility to know the requirements of your own insurance. We will do our best to help you with any questions you may have, but ultimately you are responsible for any co-payments and/or deductibles required by your insurance.
You are responsible to remit to us any insurance payment made directly to you in error.
Check your individual plan for any special requirements concerning second opinions or pre-authorizations of surgical procedures, etc.Patients with a non-participating insurance must pay at the time of the service. In the case of surgery, the patient with a non-participating insurance would be required to pay a deposit at the time she meets with our surgical coordinator.