About our practice
YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
Your first examination will most likely be somewhat lengthier than subsequent visits for there is much to be accomplished. After the receptionist assembles your chart, the nurse or technician will take a complete medical history and there may be a series of tests performed on your eyes. At this point, your eyes will probably be dilated so Dr. Co can do a thorough physical examination of the internal structure of the eyes. For this type of exam, please allow 1-1/2 to 2 hours of your time.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Office hours
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday
Appointments can be made Online
Office visits should be scheduled in advance whenever possible to avoid a wait. We make every effort to insure that scheduled patients are seen promptly. We require 24 hours noticed for a reschedule or cancelled appointment.
Emergencies
Our telephone is answered 24 hours a day. If an emergency situation necessitates. Contacting Dr. Co after normal office hours will be answered by our experienced answering service who will forward all messages to her or the physician taking her calls. The telephone number is the same : (972)680 2020.
Non-Emergency Calls
If you need medication renewal, contact lens renewals or contact lens replacements, need to change an appointment or have questions which do not constitute a true emergency, please call the office during normal office hours.
MEDICARE/PRIVATE & VISION INSURANCE CLAIMS
Dr. Co is a participating Medicare physician and a provider for several managed care companies (PPO's and HMO's). In addition, our office accepts some vision plans. Our office files insurance claims directly to your health care or vision provider as well as Medicare and supplements.
Those patients with private insurance that are office is not a provider of service for, will be given an itemized statement suitable for submitting to the appropriate carrier for reimbursement. We will also be happy to assist you with any insurance forms you may have.
Additional Services
Brochures which specifically address certain medical and surgical eye conditions are on display in the reception area and in each examination room. Please feel free to take any material you find helpful or interesting. We also maintain a videotape library, which further explains certain medical eye conditions and some of the surgical procedures which we perform. Staff members will be happy to assist you in selecting tapes and operating the video equipment.
Many times, patients who come to us have been referred by family members or friends. New patients are always welcome in our practice, and we will carefully treat them in a manner worthy of the confidence that referral implies.
Billing Inquiry
BILLING INFORMATION
The best medical care can be provided only on the basis of mutual understanding. We only filed charges that are covered by your medical insurance plan. Any non-covered charges and dispensing of goods (contact lenses) will be collected at the time of services. We encourage you to discuss any questions you may have regarding our policies with our billing staffs. We encouraged you to verify your medical coverage prior to our visit and contact our office for detail service charges.
Please contact our billing department if you have any billing or insurance questions. Our staffs will be happy to assist you.
Health Care Policies
INSURANCE POLICIES & FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Health Plans & Vision Plans
All contracted plans are submitted by our office. Upon the patient's request, an itemized statement of services rendered will be provided. It is our patient's responsibility to let the staff know if they require a statement of account for reimbursement reasons (Example, Flexible Spending Accounts). We will be happy to assist you with any insurance forms or statements needed. Our staff makes every effort to provide coverages by giving a brief summary of benefits during your initial visit. It is ultimately the patients responsibility to know their individual plan policies.
Private Insurance
Most PPO health plans have deductibles and co-insurances. In some cases patients may have to meet certain criteria within their benefit limitations before some services can be rendered. Routine or well eye exams and refraction are not covered by some health care plans. Patients are responsible for any services not covered by your private healthcare carrier, such as pre-existing conditions, not satisfying plan provisions, and or medical necessity requirements.
Manage Care Plans (HMO/POS)
A valid authorization is require for all services performed. We will file medical claims to your insurance carrier. Failure to obtain a valid referral authorization will result in the patients being financially responsible for all charges incurred, rescheduling your appointment, or a possible longer time pending receipt of your referral from your primary care physician.
Medicare
New Medicare guidelines allow us to bill your visit into a medical portion. We can also assist patients with billing for prescription eye glasses in the event the there has been a cataract surgery. Unfortunately, routine eye exams, contact lens fittings, or refractive tests are not covered by Medicare rules and regulations. Refractive tests assist our physician with dertermining a prescription for eye glasses or contact lens prescription.
We file all Medicare claims for our patients electronically with a valid signature on file. We will also file your secondary or supplemental insurance.
Financial Arrangements
We make every effort to keep down the cost of your medical care. We appreciate payment at the time of each office visit. For payment, we accept cash, checks, VISA, Master Card, American Express or Discover.
Please bring your current valid insurance information with you. We will need to copy any insurance card for our records.