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Answers
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1.
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Are you accepting new patients?
YES ! (but because this can be a shifting
landscape, please ask us about our current participation status with
your insurance)
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2.
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What insurance plans do you participate with?
Please call our office for insurance participation information
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3.
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What is your Medicare or MediCaid policy?
We no longer accept new Medicare or Medicaid patients, however, established
patients who transition into Medicare are welcome.
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4.
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What do I need to know about coverage for my upcoming physical
exam?
It has been our experience that most insurances do not cover a physical
exam if repeated in less than one calendar year, so please check the
date prior to scheduling. Also be aware that most insurances do not
cover elective physicals for pre-adoption, pre-employment,
disability,camp or school. You may be responsible for these charges,
including elective immunizations. Medicare in particular does not cover
routine physical exams, though we do recommend that these important
preventive services be done annually. You may be asked to sign an
advanced beneficiary notice for services recommended and provided to
you in the office that if Medicare rejects payment to Springfield
Family Medicine, you will be billed. Patients should prospectively call
their insurance to verify that they are eligible for a physical.
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5.
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What is the workman's comp data that I need to bring before I
get seen for an injury?We are happy to
provide medical care to patients who are injured on the job. Please
make sure that your employer/supervisor has been notified at the time
of your injury so he can determine whether you can be evaluated here or
else must be seen at a specific doctor/facility on their WC panel. If
it is appropriate to be seen at Springfield Family Medicine, we will
need the name of the person who authorized treatment here and their
phone number. In addition, we will need your employer's Workman's
Compensation Insurance Company information (name, address, phone#,
claim #). The patient is responsible for the medical bill until this
information is provided. Please arrive 20 minutes before your
appointment time to make sure the paperwork and authorizations have
been properly addressed.
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6.
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How do I arrange a referral and how much notice is needed?
Please request non- emergent referrals at least 5 business days in
advance. If we have not evaluated you for the condition, you must
schedule an appointment here prior to requesting a referral. Often
times, our providers can treat the condition here. If you have not been
seen here for the condition within the last 12 months, you may require
an appointment here prior to being given a referral. We do not fax
referrals. You may be required to reschedule your specialist appointment
if the above guidelines are not met. We cannot backdate referrals.
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7.
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What is your chronic medication refill policy?
Our providers will prescribe enough refills to last until your next
expected follow up appointment. High quality care requires that we
monitor your condition and potential medication side effects on a
regular basis, even if you are doing well. Please call for your
appointment at least 30-45 days prior to running out of medication, as
it may take 2-3 weeks to get in to see your provider. If you require a
prescription refill between scheduled appointments for a medication
that you use on an ongoing basis, there may be a $25 service fee billed
to your account if not done during an office visit.
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8.
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What are your co-payment policies?
Copayments must be paid at time of service, based on contractual
requirements. A $10 service charge will be billed to your account if
you fail to pay the copay as above. Our policy is to collect the
copayment upon arrival at check-in.
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9.
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What are your no show or late cancellation policies?
CANCELLATIONS / APPOINTMENT CHANGES / MISSED APPOINTMENTS (NO-SHOW):
Cancellations and appointment changes should be made 24 hours in
advance. If these conditions are not met, or if you fail to arrive for
your scheduled appointment, a minimum $75 service fee will be billed to
your account if we were unable to fill your unused appointment slot(s).
Additionally, charges of $125 may ensue if your appointment was for a
larger block of time, i.e. a physical or procedure.
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10.
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What are your late arrival policies?
Late arrivals for appointments will be worked in at the discretion of
the physician or nurse practitioner, with priority given to seeing
those patients who arrived on time. Patients arriving late for an
extended visit (i.e. Physical or procedure) may need to re-schedule.
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11.
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What are your form completion fees?
If there are forms/letters that the patient requires to be generated,
there may be a minimum $25 fee for completion of these forms.
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12.
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Where can I get labs drawn?
Patients may have their blood drawn in our office by an on-site lab
technician for tests ordered by our providers. Except for some
pre-operative lab draws, SFM does not provide blood drawing for
subspecialist lab requests.
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13.
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How do I fast for labs?
Fasting labs are ideally done in the morning before breakfast, after
having no calorie intake since midnight before. Water, diet soda or
black coffee may be consumed. Afternoon exams that may require labs are
at the discretion of the provider and could be done if no substantive
calories were consumed since breakfast.
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14.
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How do I prepare for a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colon cancer
screen in the office?
This important cancer screening test is best done after a patient has
electively avoided salads , aspirin, vitamin C, and rare cooked meat
for the week before the exam. Two days before the exam, the patient is
requested to follow a full liquid diet. One day prior to the exam, a
clear liquid diet is recommended, and then nothing after midnight. A
Dulcolax tablet laxative can be purchased over the counter from the
pharmacy and taken just before bed. A Fleets enema should be
administered the morning of the procedure about 1 hour prior to your
appointment.
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15.
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What are your after hours coverage policies?
We employ a professional
Answering Service to take urgent/emergent calls after the office has
closed. If appropriate, the call will be forwarded to our covering
physician who will return your call. We do not call in refills for
chronic medications or to out of state pharmacies.
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16.
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To what hospital do you admit your patients?
We currently exclusively admit our patients at Inova Mount Vernon
Hospital, 2501 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, Va. 22306 (703) 664-7000.
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17.
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What is your Medical Records Transfer Policy?
SFM requires a records release form (HIPAA compliant) for each patient
record release or transfer. Most such requests are processed by a copy
service whose representative comes to our office periodically to scan
the records. They bill the patient directly for this service. (Download
form under Patient Resources tab)
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18.
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What is your cell phone policy?
Like many of you, cell phones have become a critical means of
communication in our business and personal lives. As important as cell
phones have become, it is also important to respect those around us.
Please turn your cell phone off before entering the office.
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19.
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Are there students who provide care at your office ?
Yes, occasionally Springfield Family Medicine is a site for primary
care clinical exposure for medical students at George Washington
University, Georgetown University, and for Nurse Practitioner students
at Marymount and George Mason Universities. The patient will always be
asked if they want to participate, and can decline if they desire. The
medical care provided by the students will always be
supervised/complemented by the mentoring SFM physician or Nurse
Practitioner.
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