Office Policies and Procedures

I. In-Office Procedures

• Ultrasound
• Ultrasound Guided Core Biopsy of Breast Lesions
• Mammosite Placement for Partial Breast Irradiation
• Cryoablation of Fibroadenoma
  We are the sole provider for this procedure outside of the Dallas area.

II. Privacy

This office has a policy of nondisclosure of medical information to alleged family members and friends calling for information. In accordance with federal HIPAA guidelines, we require that family members wanting to discuss a patient’s condition have the express permission from the patient on file in our records, (except in the case of an emergency). This office requires that family requesting information attend a scheduled appointment with the patient present for any discussions about the patient. In other words, this office feels that except in the case of a dire emergency, patients should not be discussed when they are not present. Without express consent in the record, this office will assume that consent has not been given and will not even confirm that a patient is indeed a patient in this practice.

III. Appointment No Shows

We make every effort to contact patients to confirm their appointments a day or two in advance. We also remind patients to pick up their films and reports so that the doctor has the needed information to conduct the consultation. We understand that emergencies occur and are inevitable. What we will not tolerate is repeated “no shows” without calling and without notice. A pattern of behavior of repeated rescheduling and “no shows” will serve as grounds for termination of the patient physician relationship in accordance with local standards. The patient’s referring physician will be notified if this should occur.

IV. Patient Films

The doctor requires that the actual films be available for review for the consultation. A copy of the report alone is not adequate. It is the patient’s responsibility to check out the films and obtain copies of the reports to bring to the appointment. Patients will be told this fact upon making their appointment and again upon confirmation a day or two before the appointment. If the patient comes for the appointment without the films, she will likely be rescheduled. The films are deemed necessary for a complete medical opinion to be rendered, and not having them to refer to may significantly hinder any attempt to render an opinion requiring a second office visit anyway. This is for the patient’s protection and to allow the doctor to give the best medical care.

V. Payment policy

Co-pay amounts are required at the time of registration. Cash, check, and some credit and debit cards are accepted. There is an ATM located on the first floor of the building for the convenience of the patient. Copayment for procedures and surgeries is also expected prior to the treatment. We make every effort to get an exact amount that the patient will owe from the insurance companies. The doctor has had this policy in effect for several years because patients were routinely not paying these contracted and negotiated copays which are the patient’s responsibility. If you do not understand your policy, please discuss it with your Human Resources Department. We will try our best to help you understand also. Please understand, the reimbursement rates are negotiated with the understanding that a portion of the fee will be paid by the patient in the form of a copayment. These cannot be “written off”.

VI. Billing Service

A billing service is contracted to bill and collect monies owed from insurance companies. This company will also balance bill patients for any amount owed per the insurance company, after all of the bills have been sorted out. This can take awhile, sometimes months, before all of this is straightened out. Hopefully the amounts originally given by the insurance company will not change, but sometimes the amounts do change and the patient will owe a little more or actually be due a refund. Refunds will be generated in a timely fashion, and payment is expected in a timely fashion also.

VII. Collections

Unfortunately, some patients will refuse to pay in a timely fashion, and a collections company has been contracted to try to recover monies owed. On the registration sheet, the demographics sheet, that patient’s fill out out their first visit, there is a paragraph which is signed by the patient giving me permission to bill the insurance company. That sheet also has a sentence that clearly states that 40% will be added to any amount turned over to collections to cover the cost of the collection. It is cheaper to pay the bill prior to collections.

VIII. Minor Patients

When a patient is a minor in the legal term, this office requires that a legal guardian accompany the patient to the office for the first office visit. The legal guardian, the patient, and the physician together can decide whether unsupervised visits will be allowed in the future. It is necessary to meet the legal guardian face to face for the first visit. In the event of joint custody, the person with the court approved medical decision making capabilities should accompany the patient for the first visit. After that, the other parent may make decisions in accordance with the divorce decree or with permission from the parent with the medical decision making powers, as long as this is well documented in the medical record.