Frequently Asked Questions

Yes.  We are accepting new patients.  We welcome the opportunity to work with you.

Yes.  We realize that at times our patients have urgent needs that will not allow them to wait several days.  When this happens, call us.  We will make every effort to get you in to see you the same day.

We have appointment staff at both locations (Lansdale is 215-368-4434, Chalfont is 215-822-3361) to assist you in making an appointment.  Please have your insurance information available when you call.  It is best to arrive ten to fifteen minutes early for your appointments to complete any necesssary patient information.

If you must cancel an appointment, please give us 24 hours notice.  If you need to cancel a Monday appointment, call on Friday morning.  Your slot can then be given to another patient.  We will help you reschedule your appointment.

All existing patients should bring with them their insurance card and their driver's license when coming in for an appointment. 

In addition, all patients should bring with them a list of their medications including the dosage and number of times per day they are to be taken.

Many lab and test results are available within 48 hours.  If the results are abnormal or warrant attention we will immediately notify you.  If the results are normal we will place the results in the chart and we will discuss these with you at your next scheduled office visit.  If the results are normal and you would like to know about the normal results you may call us at any time.

An on-call physician or nurse practitioner is available 24 hours, 365 days a year. After our normal office hours, you may contact us through our answering service at 215-368-4434 or 215-822-3361.  If you have a life threatening emergency, dial 911 or go to the emergency room nearest to you.

What are examples of an emergency?

An emergency is an illness that is potentially life threatening. Although not a complete list, some emergencies are one side of the face "not working", inability to speak, chest pain, breathing troubles, major bleeding, major falls, and the inability to get up.

Do you have a life-threatening emergency?

Immediately call 911 or go to the emergency room nearest to you. The Emergency Room Physician will decide how to best treat you and then they will contact us at the appropriate time.

Do you have a non-life-threatening emergency?

An on-call physician or nurse practitioner is available 24 hours, 365 days a year. After our normal office hours, you may contact us through our answering service at 215-368-4434 or 215-822-3361.

Renewal of a prescription is usually not an emergency.
Please plan ahead for prescription renewals. 

Thank you for choosing us as your primary care provider. We are committed to providing you with quality and affordable health care.  Because some of our patients have had questions regarding patient and insurance responsibility for services rendered, we have been advised to develop this payment policy.   A copy will be provided to you upon request.

We accept self-pay office visits and payments from insurance companies, with co-payments as required when necessary, as described below.

1. Insurance. We participate in most insurance plans, including Medicare. If you are not insured by a plan we do business with, payment in full is expected at each visit. If you are insured by a plan we do business with but don't have an up-to-date insurance card, payment in full for each visit is required until we can verify your coverage. Knowing your insurance benefits is your responsibility. Please contact your insurance company with any questions you may have regarding your coverage.

2. Co-payments and deductibles. All co-payments and deductibles must be paid at the time of service. This arrangement is part of your contract with your insurance company. Failure on our part to collect co-payments and deductibles from patients can be considered fraud. Please help us in upholding the law by paying your co-payment at each visit.

3. Non-covered services. Please be aware that some - and perhaps all - of the services you receive may be noncovered or not considered reasonable or necessary by Medicare or other insurers. You must pay for these services in full at the time of visit.

4. Proof of insurance. All patients must complete our patient information form before seeing the doctor. We must obtain a copy of your driver's license and current valid insurance to provide proof of insurance. If you fail to provide us with the correct insurance information in a timely manner, you may be responsible for the balance of a claim.

5. Claims submission. We will submit your claims and assist you in any way we reasonably can to help get your claims paid. Your insurance company may need you to supply certain information directly. It is your responsibility to comply with their request. Please be aware that the balance of your claim is your responsibility whether or not your insurance company pays your claim. Your insurance benefit is a contract between you and your insurance company; we are not party to that contract.

6. Coverage changes. If your insurance changes, please notify us before your next visit so we can make the appropriate changes to help you receive your maximum benefits. If your insurance company does not pay your claim in 45 days, the balance will automatically be billed to you.

7. Nonpayment. If your account is over 90 days past due, you will receive a letter stating that you have 20 days to pay your account in full. Partial payments will not be accepted unless otherwise negotiated. Please be aware that if a balance remains unpaid, we may refer your account to a collection agency and you and your immediate family members may be discharged from this practice. If this is to occur, you will be notified by regular and certified mail that you have 30 days to find alternative medical care. During that 30-day period, our physician will only be able to treat you on an emergency basis.

8. Missed appointments. Our policy is to charge for missed appointments not canceled within a reasonable amount of time. These charges will be your responsibility and billed directly to you. Please help us to serve you better by keeping your regularly scheduled appointment.

Our practice is committed to providing the best treatment to our patients. Our prices are representative of the usual and customary charges for our area.

Thank you for understanding our payment policy. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

 

• If your problem is due to an auto or other injury please let us know immediately so that the correct insurance information can be generated for you. When the injury involves a motor vehicles accident or injury you are responsible for all medical costs at the end of every office visit even if the accident is not your fault and even if the insurance or the other person's insurance covers the accident. You are responsible for paying for each visit and for submitting your claim to the appropriate insurance company. Your insurance company will reimburse you directly and appropriately.
• We can provide you with copies of reports and paperwork required for a minimal fee. We do not accept liens. We will suggest specialists or testing based on medical necessity in our opinion. It is your responsibility to find the X-ray, lab, specialist, chiropractor, acupuncturist or other specialist that will accept your insurance. Please call your insurance company, or the specialist to whom we refer you, with any questions about coverage. If these policies are not acceptable to you, you will need to find a different doctor for your auto accident or personal injury claim, though we can still see you for your other medical needs.

• An advance directive tells your doctor what kind of care you would like to have if you become unable to make medical decisions. The others are TYPES of advanced directives.
• Should you have an advance directive?  At the very least we recommend you create at the very least simple advanced directive. 
• By creating an advance directive, you are making your preferences about medical care known before you're faced with a serious injury or illness. This will spare your loved ones the stress of making decisions about your care while you are sick.
• More information is available here.

If you wish to have your records transferred from another office to our office, click on this link to complete a form.  Give to us the form and we will fax that form to the other office or you can mail that form to their office.

If you wish to send a copy of your medical records or have them transferred to another office, please call our office (Lansdale:  215-368-4434, Chalfont office:  215-822-3361) for further information and click on this link to download the Authorization for Medical Records form.  Give to us the form and we process it.