FINANCIAL POLICY

FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE INFORMATION

Our office participates with most of the major insurance companies. Even though we may participate with an insurance company, patients still have certain responsibilities.

· Patients are responsible for understanding the basic requirements of their insurance policy.

· Patients are responsible for obtaining a referral from their primary care physician if a referral is required before a patient can be seen by a specialist.

· Patients are required to pay any co-pay, unmet deductible, or co-insurance at the time of the visit.

· Patients are expected to bring their current insurance card to each visit. If a patient comes into the office without their insurance card, they will be responsible for full payment of that day's charges.

· Patients are responsible for notifying our office of any change in insurance coverage. If the insurance company has changed or the patient has received a new card from the same insurance company, our office must be notified.

Our office also accepts certain responsibilities when participating with insurance companies.

· We will file all charges with the insurance company.

· We will provide the insurance company with all the medical information needed to process your claim accurately.

· Once your primary insurance has paid, we will file any secondary insurance you may have if we are given the appropriate insurance information. There are some things for which we cannot accept responsibility:

· If the patient fails to notify us of a change in insurance, we cannot be responsible for the non-payment of the claim by the insurance company.

· We cannot be responsible for obtaining referrals from the primary care physician.

· We cannot be a part of any dispute involving payment for services rendered to dependent children whose parents are divorced or legally separated. We will expect payment from the person bringing the child to the doctor.

We also participate with programs offered by the State of North Carolina, which cover specific needs for patients. These programs are:
- Services for the Blind
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Disability Determination

If our office does not participate with your insurance company, we will expect payment from the patient at the time of the visit. We will file the claim with your insurance company as a courtesy to you if we are provided a copy of the insurance card.

If your physician recommends a surgical procedure, either an in-office procedure or a hospital procedure, we will contact your insurance company to obtain any necessary pre-certification or permission and the expected level of benefits. We also recommend that the patient contact the insurance company to verify coverage, to verify that the place of service is covered, and to verify coverage for anesthesia services. If the insurance company indicates that the patient will owe a portion of a surgery charge, you will be notified and will be expected to pay a portion at the pre-op visit. Our goal is to provide you with the best medical care we can in the most efficient and least expensive manner. Any member of our office staff will be glad to answer any questions you have regarding financial matters or direct you to the appropriate financial institutions.