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Things to Know
Office Information
Appointments: All office visits are by appointment only. This is an Open Access office. Which mean, you can have an appointment with an available provider on the same day you call. To schedule an appointment call one of our receptionists at (215) 540-4411. Please make every effort to keep your appointment, as “No Shows” are not tolerated. If you are a new patient, obtain your previous medical records, including recent laboratory tests, prior to your appointment. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call us at least 24 hours in advance, as a courtesy to other patients who may need urgent care. Patients who do not show for a scheduled office visit without calling may be charged for that visit. We know that your time is important to you, so we strive to stay on schedule with your appointment. Sometimes, however, unavoidable delays occur. We will keep you informed if a delay arises. We appreciate your understanding in situations like these. Telephone Calls: All messages are received as soon as possible, and every effort is made to return calls during regular working hours. There are times when we cannot answer all calls within the same day they are received. Please tell us if your call is urgent, or must be returned the same day. Please confirm your contact telephone number with our receptionists. Prescriptions, Refills, and Prior-Authorizations: On your first visit, please bring a list of all the medications and supplements you are currently taking. Advise us if you have any allergic reactions to any medications. Please call the office or have your pharmacy call for your medication refills, and allow 1-2 days processing. No refills will be made after office hours because your medical records may not be available. It is office policy that all patients receiving narcotics from our office must sign and honor a narcotic contract. Depending on your insurance plan, some of your medications might need Prior-Authorization. The nurse doing the prior authorization will need to speak to the patient regarding previous medication use and failure on those medications. Also please be aware that it takes 5-7 business days for a medication prior authorization to be approved or denied. Referrals and Pre-Certifications: We work closely with other physicians in the community and will sometimes need to refer you to a specialist. Those patients with managed care insurance, who require routine referrals, please provide us with 5 business days notice. Depending on your insurance, some radiological exams will require Pre-Certification. Your exam cannot be scheduled without your Pre-Certification. One of our nurses must call your insurance company to obtain approval. It takes extra time, so please be patient with this process and allow us ample lead time. Billing and Insurance: Please bring your insurance card with you and your co-pay amount at the time of each visit, whether with a doctor, nurse practitioner or registered nurse. Our contract with the insurance companies requires your co-payment at the time of each visit. The co-pay is collected when you arrive. Confidentiality: All your medical records are confidential. We can release your records only if given written authorization. By law we may not discuss your medical care with anyone, including family members, without your permission. Please see our HIPAA policy regarding our office privacy policy. On Call Schedule: A Physician is "on call" whenever the office is closed. Please reserve the "on call" service for emergencies only or medical situations that cannot wait until the office reopens. The "on call" doctor can be reached through the office answering service by calling (215) 540-4411. Please have your pharmacy number ready in case phone-in medication is required. If you do not hear from the "on call" physician within 30 to 45 minutes, please call the answering service again to make sure there was no technical problem or a wrong phone number. Routine prescription refills will not be made by the on call physician. Patients with life threatening symptoms should call 911, or go directly to the nearest Emergency Room. You may be charged for non-emergency or non-urgent phone calls to the physician after the office is closed. The practice is always taking on new patients. If you are interested in becoming a patient here, there are a few things that you should know. We take most major medical insurances including Independence Blue Cross, Aetna, Medicare, CIGNA, United Healthcare, along with others. If you are not sure if we take your insurance, please contact our office. If you belong to an HMO plan and would like to be a patient in our office, you’ll need to contact the number on the back of your card and switch your primary care office. Becoming a patient at our practice under an HMO means that you will now be capitated or required to go to certain facilities for different services. Those services and facilities are:
We also ask that once you have your first office visit scheduled with us, please read our office Privacy Policy, then print, fill out, sign and mail to us the following forms: New Patient Registration
You will also need to have your records transferred to our office from your previous physician. You can do so by printing out this form and mailing it to your previous primary care office: When you are coming in for you first office visit, please make sure to bring in your medical insurance card(s) and all of your prescription medications and supplements that you take. HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT: Schedule your appointment so you can arrive 10 minutes early. This gives you time to verify insurance and personal information with the receptionist. Remember that if you are late, the entire schedule gets delayed, including those patients scheduled after you. Schedule your annual physical exam in the Spring and Summer. The schedule is lighter during these seasons, and the providers have more time available. Make sure you have all of you information with you before you arrive:
If you have seen a specialist since your last office visit, make sure that you bring in copies of lab results and radiology exams that they ordered. We do not always get copies of these from the specialists. Make a list of your concerns. Make sure to put what is bothering you the most at number one on the list. If you are confused about the instructions that the provider gives you, ask them to write them down, or ask to speak to the nurse after your visit to clarify any questions. Make sure to bring your co-pay (cash or check), along with your insurance card. Co-pays are always due at the time of service. If your insurance information has changed, the receptionist will need to verify the new information. ***By following these steps, you can be assured to make the most out of your scheduled time with the provider. Our practice has a large group of patients in the surrounding community either in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities or in their homes. If you or a loved one are interested in becoming a community patient, we asked that you call our office and speak to our office manager first, as we only go to locations in proximity to the office and hospitals. We are on staff at the following facilities:
We also are on staff at Abington Memorial Hospital and Holy Redeemer Hospital, and make rounds there on a regular basis. This helps us complete care of our patients by also being able to oversee your stay at either hospital. |
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