New Pediatric Patients

 

WHEN COMING TO THE OFFICE FOR ANY VISIT we ask families to assist us and themselves with the following:

Please make an appointment rather than “just showing up.” This is necessary to minimize wait time for appointed patients.

    • If you need to cancel, we ask for 24 hours’ notice unless there are unpredictable circumstances, in which case a shorter-notice call is still helpful. This is especially important if the time has been allotted for more than one child in the family.
    •  If you are a new patient or if there has been an insurance change, it is important to be sure that you have a plan with which we participate and that we are listed as the patient’s PCP. This will lessen the chance of an insurance rejection and the resulting patient responsibility for the fees of the visit.
    • If there is a change in your insurance or demographic information, let us know about it promptly.
    • For new patients, it is helpful to have previous records at the initial visit, or at least the child’s immunization record and growth chart
    • Please try to be prompt for your children’s appointments, or even earlier for a first visit or a double checkup, both of which can involve extra paperwork. If the arrival time is significantly delayed, we may have to see the patient at the next available slot in the day or re-schedule in order not to get excessively backed up or be forced to rush a visit (which we do not like to do).
    • Families should understand that co-payments  and deductibles should be taken care of at the time of the visit. It is also important that it be recognized that health insurance policies are contracts between the policyholder—the familes—and their insurers. There may be fees that EOB’s indicate are the family’s responsibilities, such as deductibles, and it means that just having insurance does not relieve the family of financial responsibility for services received. When needed, we are willing to make extended payment plans. This should be discussed with our billing office
    • For checkups we generally need at least a couple of weeks’ advance notice, except in the case of newborns, whom we will see at very short notice. For “double checkups” even more advanced scheduling may be necessary.
    • We will generally see sick children the same day if this is preferred. We are happy to discuss the illness by phone to help you—and us– make this decision. These visits will not always be at the preferred time, but we do our best, and often carry the day beyond “regular hours” to do this.
    • We always welcome questions and even opinions and suggestions on our office policy. We regard it as very important to have patients that are not only well-cared for but are also happy with all the aspects of that care. Please feel comfortable to pass along your comments without reservation.
    • On the day of your child's first visit to our office, we recommend arriving a few minutes early. This allows extra time for finishing up any registration forms and ensures you have plenty of time to get acquainted with our staff and office. We look forward to meeting you and joining with you to help your child maintain optimal health.

    Specific patient forms for families to complete in advance of their appointments are planned for this page in the near future.  Still….well, under development.