Patient Information

Advice Calls

Advice calls are a regular and expected part of our practice. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any concerns. We have a voicemail line (extension 2) to help decrease the amount of time you spend on hold when you are calling the office. This line can be used for any non-urgent calls (anything that doesn’t need a return call within the hour). Examples are requests for prescription refills, insurance referrals, questions about feeding, sleep, treatment of minor illnesses, or about school/sports/camp forms. You can also use the line to schedule visits for immunizations if your child does not need a full checkup appointment with the doctor. Calls are generally returned within the half-day. This line will be open for calls between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. Please do NOT use this line if you are calling to schedule a doctor’s appointment, have an urgent question, or are calling after hours.

When you call please leave the following information:

• Your name
• The time you are calling
• Your child’s name (please spell the last name) and age
• What you are calling about
• And most importantly, a phone number where we will be able to call you back!

If you have an emergency, please press 0 when you call the office and you will be able to speak to the doctor or nurse quickly.

Forms for Day Care, School, Camp, or Sports

Forms that require a doctor’s signature certifying that a child is in good health can be signed only if checkups are up to date. If you are not sure if your child will need a checkup, please call the office and we will check your child’s chart. If you anticipate that a form may be needed for camp or for sports, please check with us several months in advance so that a checkup can be scheduled if necessary. Please give us 3-5 days after we have received your forms to complete them.

Immunizations

These are usually given as part of the checkups, but sometimes there are other circumstances, such as for travel or for a tetanus booster after a puncture wound. Because of government regulations, we are required to get a parent or guardian to sign a consent form before an immunization is given. If your child will need an immunization, we will ask that a parent accompany the child (even teenagers), to the office to sign the form or to send a letter giving us permission to give the immunization.

How to get a Referral

Before you see a specialist we would like you to contact our office and our insurance provider. The procedure for getting a referral will vary by insurance providers. Sometimes the problem is one that we can help you with ourselves; for specific problems, we may know specialists who would be more experienced with children.

Your Insurance

It is the responsibility of the patient to know and understand policies and benefits of their insurance. This includes:

• Prior authorization procedures
• Co-Payments
• Covered hospital/lab x-rays
• Current Claims address

Please present proof of insurance and any change in information at the time of your visit. Our billing office can answer questions about the statements they send you.

Payment and Billing

Co-payments are due at the time of visit.

Each month you will receive an itemized bill showing services and payments. If you have not had any services during the month, but have a balance owing, you will receive a statement showing your balance.

Follow these tips for the most effective communication with your doctor.

• When you call the doctor, clearly state the reason for your call, i.e. a rash, a cough, etc.
• Write out your symptoms, questions, and a list of medications, over-the-counter drugs or other treatments, so we can fully assess your condition.
• Since you are a new patient, it is very helpful for us to have access to your medical records so we can understand your health history. We will be glad to help you obtain these records.
• Please ask questions. Your involvement is essential.