Patient Information Appointments and Referrals Appointments can be scheduled by calling the main number for either of our office locations during regular business hours. Every effort will be made to schedule your appointment within a convenient time frame. Please bring your current insurance, managed care and/or Medicare information with you to your appointment. At your first office visit, you will be asked to complete a patient information form (link to form) that provides us with important information for our records and for your physician. All information given to us is held in strictest confidence and our office follows all federal regulations regarding the privacy (link to privacy policy) of patient records. It is the patient’s responsibility to obtain any required referrals from their primary care physician if one is required by your insurance or managed care plan prior to your scheduled appointment. It is also the patient’s responsibility to notify our insurance representative about obtaining precertification or referral authorization for surgery, physical therapy and diagnostic procedures (MRI’s, CT scans, bone scans, electrodiagnostic studies, arthrograms, etc.). Medical Records Your records are a permanent part of the medical records at the Center for Orthopaedics. We are mandated by state law to keep the original records, including x-rays. We will be happy to copy the records upon receiving your written request. We charge only a copying fee, as required by the state statute. You will be notified of the total fee before your records are copied. Reports and medical records concerning your health will not be released to an insurance company or any third party without your authorization. Please call 721-7236 for any medical records questions. Payment Policy After you have been seen by the doctor, you will be given a “care slip” to bring to the cashier’s desk. We will file your claims to your insurance company, however you will be responsible for your unmet deductible amount as well as any applicable co-pays and co-insurance amounts at the time of check-out. Medicaid & Managed Care Insurance Policies It is your responsibility to contact your insurance company to determine if authorization or a referral is needed. Referrals must be obtained prior to services being rendered. Please ensure that we have a referral on file when you check in. Medicare Medicare patients are responsible for any unmet deductible and co-insurance amounts. Student Insurance Student Insurance is automatically considered secondary if you have other insurance coverage except for Medicaid. The patient has to provide us with a completed Claim Form prior to services being rendered. Liability and Workman’s Compensation All Liability and Workman’s Compensation claims must be verified and approved according to Center For Orthopaedic’s Policy before an appointment can be made. However, whether or not the third party pays the bill, responsibility for payment is the obligation of the patient being treated. Secondary Insurance We file secondary insurance as a courtesy only, but it is the patient’s responsibility to notify our office if a secondary insurance claim is to be filed. Self-Pay Patients Payment is required at the time of services being rendered according. Pre-certification We will notify your insurance company to obtain pre-certification and/or authorization for surgery and diagnostic procedures. You will be notified prior to surgery of your financial responsibility according to your insurance policy. Your financial responsibility is for the physician and surgical assistant fees only. Please contact our pre-certification department to make payment arrangement prior to surgery. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of your scheduled surgery. Assistant in Surgery An assistant surgeon is needed for most operations and many hospitals in our area require assistants in surgery. Our physicians employ P.A.’s (physician assistants)., N.P.s, (nurse practitioners) and R.N.(registered nurse) First Assistants to assist in surgery. There may be a fee for their services. If this is not a covered fee under your insurance plan, you are responsible for the assistant’s fee. Past Due Accounts You will need to notify our Accounts Receivables Department at 337-721-7288 as soon as you receive your first statement reflecting a personal balance. Our collection specialist will be glad to assist you with resolving your balance. For your convenience we do accept all major credit cards, cash, personal checks and money orders. If you have failed to contact us within 45 days from receiving the statement showing your personal balance, we will initiate our collection process and your account may be referred to a third party outside collection agency. X-rays and Lab If you require an x-ray, we have the capability to provide this service in our office. Specialized x-rays or MRI studies may be necessary. We will schedule these for you. If blood work is necessary, you will be referred to a laboratory where it will be done, and reports will be sent to us. Prescription Refill Policy No refills will be given after hours or on weekends. Every effort will be made to respond to calls as they come in, however, refill orders may not called in until the next business day. To avoid being without your medication completely, please call our office several days before your supply runs out. Telephone Messages Assistants will handle all incoming telephone calls for physicians. This allows the physician to attend to his office patients with a minimum of interruptions. Please be patient; all phone calls will be returned as soon as possible. In many cases, the assistant will be able to help you. If they cannot, they will refer your call to the physician. If there is an emergency he or she will contact the physician immediately. Fracture Care A fracture is most often diagnosed by x-rays and can vary greatly in severity and appropriate treatment options. Fracture care is subject to special global or surgical package rules, regardless of whether these services were provided at the hospital or in the office. The fee for fracture care can typically include the following: An exam for diagnosis and decisions about the best treatment options Cast application for the initial work of applying the cast. Subsequent applications are reported and billed separately. A “fracture code” will be assigned based on the injury site, type of fracture and whether the treatment is closed or open. Open treatment is usually performed in an operating room at a hospital or outpatient surgery facility. Closed treatment is often done at the emergency room or in the office. However, because fracture treatment is considered “major surgery” by the federal and AMA coding systems, it will often be reported as “surgery” on your insurance company’s explanation of benefits. Casting supplies for the initial cast. Any additional supplies needed at later office visits are billed separately. Most fractures will require several postoperative visits which are included at no charge in the fracture/surgical fee if related to the same diagnosis. The allowed postoperative/global days may vary anywhere from 45to 90, depending on each insurance company’s definition. Any x-rays needed are reported and billed separately. Certain serious fractures may need additional surgery or procedures, such as physical therapy. There are special rules our office is required to use to report those services. Questions about fracture care should be directed to 721-7236. Center for Orthopaedics Privacy Policy Missing www.lakecharlesortho.com Click the link above to connect to our premier orthopaedic education site. This site is provided as an educational service of CFO for patients and health professionals. Learn more about specific conditions and treatments, watch educational videos and hear about patient experiences with specific procedures.