Office Policies

• Our office is open Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.   The phone lines are open from 8:30am - 4:00 pm, and closed over lunch.
• Requesting an appointment may be done by calling our office and online.
• Our services are available to all who seek them.
• It is our goal to see you at the time of day for which your appointment was made. The appointment that is scheduled is reserved for you only. We ask for your cooperation - if you know that you will be late – that you call the office to let us know.
• Payment is due at the time of your visit. We accept cash, checks, and credit cards.
• Patients may be charged a fee for cancelling an appointment without 24 hours notice ($50.00 for new patients who wish to reschedule / $25.00 for existing followup patients).
• There will be a $35.00 fee for returned checks.
• Requests for copies of medical records will incur a charge to cover staff and material costs in duplicating the chart.
• Requests for appointments, medication refills, and laboratory results should only be made during office hours.
• Please allow physicians one business day to return non-urgent phone messages.
• After hour and weekend calls to the physicians are reserved for EMERGENCIES ONLY.

Prescription refills

Due to the overwhelming burden placed on our staff addressing requests for prescription refills by way of faxes and phone calls, we have implemented the following policy effective immediately (January 1, 2012).

--- Any prescription refill requested by phone or fax, which is necessitated by the loss of a previously issued prescription, cancellation of a scheduled appointment by the patient, or lack of a scheduled follow-up appointment will result in a charge of $20.00 per prescription.  The prescription will cover only the period of time until the next recommended appointment. 

--- It is the patient’s responsibility at the time of his/her appointment to ensure that all prescriptions requiring refills are addressed.  You will be provided with sufficient refills until your next  recommended scheduled appointment.  It is important, therefore, that you make your follow-up appointment before leaving the office to ensure that you will have no lapse in your medications. 
    
--- Please verify that the correct pharmacy is entered into your medical records to avoid delays in filling your prescriptions. 

We appreciate your cooperation, as this will allow our physicians and staff  to better focus on continuing to provide excellent medical care and attention to your endocrinology needs.

Please note that our office will only refill prescriptions prescribed by our office. Always request your refills at least 1-2 weeks before it runs out.

Diabetes prescriptions - please note that all diabetes supplies, as well as NPH/ Regular insulins are available as non-prescription items. We are happy to provide prescriptions so that your insurer will help cover supply costs.

Laboratory results

Our staff will always communicate with you (via follow-up appointment, letter, or phone call) regarding the results of your blood work or studies. If you do not hear from our office regarding your results in the expected time frame - it is the patient’s responsibility to contact us to ensure the results were not lost, misdirected, etc.

Insurance / Financial Responsibility

• Please familiarize yourself with the terms of your insurance, including plan benefits, co-payments, preauthorization requirements, and choice of laboratory facility.
• It is always the patient's responsibility to confirm with their insurance companies that our participation agreements have not changed.
• If your insurance company requires a referral for consultation - ensure that the referral is received prior to the visit or you will be responsible for fees incurred should insurance deny coverage (please note - cancelled appointments within 24 hours of the scheduled visit will incur the cancellation penalty charge). If you need assistance with your insurance requirements, our staff will make every effort to help you.
• If your insurance company does not cover a particular service, you will be held responsible for payment.
• Balances and co-pays are expected to be paid in full at the time of the visit. Co-pays may not cover your total payment.  After receiving an Explanation of Benefits for service rendered, patients are expected to pay their portion of the bill in full within 2 weeks.
• If we do not participate in your insurance plan, then you will be expected to pay for services at the time of visit. We are happy to provide you the necessary paperwork needed to submit for out-of-network benefits.