Insurance, Policy & Procedures

Please be advised that patients are ultimately responsible for the payment of their bills. As a service to our patients we are pleased to submit insurance claims. Our physicians participate in a large number of insurance plans. Call your insurance company if you have questions regarding our participation with your plan. It is your responsibility to advise us of any requirements of your policy for prior authorization, pre-certification or a second opinion. When a plan requires you to be referred by your primary physician, it is your responsibility to bring this written referral or authorization with you on your visit to our office.

(There are thousands of different insurance plans in the tri-county area and to ensure we participate, the safest thing would be to check with your insurance company.)

You will receive preregistration forms in advance of your appointment. The information you provide is confidential and is maintained and utilized in accordance with HIPAA requirements.

Please review the following checklist and bring the items that apply to you:

• registration forms sent by our office
• Insurance cards
• Driver's license
• Relevant information from your referring physician, if applicable
• Written referral voucher from your primary physician, should your insurance require it
• A family member or friend that you wish to be informed about your condition

When you arrive a receptionist will complete your registration at the front desk. We require a 24 hour notice of any cancellation and we will be happy to reschedule your visit.

When you call and request to speak with a physician or nurse, we will do our best to return your call the same day. However, as a policy, we do not interrupt regular office patient care with non-emergency phone calls. Our staff will return emergency calls immediately and other calls as soon as possible.

If you have an emergency after hours, please call 517-374-7600 and select the option for our on-call physician. At your discretion, you may elect to call 911 and request to be taken to the Ingham Regional Medical Center Emergency Room.

When you require renewal of a prescription, please call us at least 48 hours in advance of your requirement. Please have the pharmacy phone number available when you call.

We are aware that healthcare costs are a sensitive issue to our patients. Please do not hesitate to contact us and discuss any concerns you may have about our billing policies.

You will find that our office fees are competitive with those charged by other internal medicine practices throughout the Tri-County area.

Our office will submit your insurance claim. If you have co-pays and/or deductibles, please pay at the time of your office visit. If you have no insurance, payment will be expected at the time of your office visit.

Our billing staff is available to discuss charges and establish payment plans on an individual basis. Patients who disregard bills or make no effort to discuss their circumstances may be subject to having their overdue bills sent to a collection agency. To avoid such problems we urge you to work with the billing staff to establish payment plans that are compatible with your circumstance. Our billing staff can be reached at extension (517) 372-3985.