Our Policies

• Office Hours
• Appointments
• Financial Policy
  
  • Main Financial Policy
  • Referrals
  • Fees, Deductibles and Out-Of-Pocket Maximums
  • Payment Options

	Office Hours Our office is open from 8:30 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. We see patients by appointment only. Exceptions are made for patients that may need to be seen on a more urgent basis. ***Please Note - We can be reached through our answering service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling our office phone number: (770) 474-7287.
	Appointments If it is necessary to change or cancel an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible. If the surgeon that the patient is scheduled to see is detained with a hospital emergency, the appointment will be rescheduled or arrangements will be made to see another Surgery South surgeon. We will make every effort to meet the scheduling needs of the patient. When you come for your appointment, please bring the following: A list of all medications you are currently taking; If you are a breast patient, you must bring your breast imaging films (mammograms and / or ultrasounds) and your reports; Any other information that you or your doctor feel is important or pertinent for your treatment.
	Financial Policy - Main Financial Policy As a courtesy, Surgery South will maintain and manage your health insurance benefits based on the information that you provide. To do this, we need complete and accurate information, and we ask that you help us in doing so by: Informing our staff of any changes in your health insurance, employer, address, civil status or any other information that will affect your health insurance coverage. The practice will file all health insurance claims for which we have complete information. It is your responsibility to bring your current health insurance card(s) to every appointment in the office.
	Financial Policy - Referrals In most cases, your Primary Care Physician (PCP) must refer you to our practice and provide a referral number. We must have this number BEFORE you are seen by one of our doctors. It is your responsibility to obtain your referral number from your PCP prior to your appointment with us. Please understand that if we do not have the number at the time of your visit, you still have 3 options: You can telephone your PCP or whomever issues the referral number prior to being seen by one of our physicians. Your insurance company will not cover your visit without a referral. Therefore, the services provided on that day will be considered NON-COVERED. You will be asked to sign a waiver form and pay for the visit in full at the time of the visit. After you provide the needed information, we will file the claim and request that you be reimbursed directly. You can reschedule your appointment for a later time after the information has been obtained.
	Financial Policy - Fees, Deductibles and Out-Of-Pocket Maximums Our office staff will submit the surgical fee to the patient’s insurance company. Please be aware that the patient will be billed separately by the hospital, the anesthesiologist, the lab, and by any other outside services that are required for surgical care. We will bill the patient directly for any deductible that may apply. Many insurance and managed care companies require that the patient pay the office visit co-pay at the time of the office visit. By not doing so, most insurance companies may feel the insured member violated the plan agreement and therefore may not reimburse any services rendered that day making the patient responsible for payment of such services. Medicare and many commercial PPO plans require that a deductible be paid at the beginning of each calendar year. If you have surgery, there may be an additional deductible for in-patient services. If you are to have surgery, an estimate of the total physician-related fees and benefits your insurance plan covers will be determined. The amount that you will owe (if any) after your insurance plan(s) has paid, will be communicated to you as soon as possible and throughout the process. Co-Payments - These amounts typically range from $5 to $40 and are usually printed on your insurance card. These are collected prior to services being rendered at the time of visit. All co-pays are collected at the time you check in. Co-Insurance - This is typically a percentage of what the insurance plan has "approved" for various services. Co-Insurance will be collected at the time of visit. This is due to the agreement between your employer and your health insurance company. Therefore, we cannot bill for co-payments and co-insurance. They are due and payable at the time of service. Non-Covered Services - Your physician may believe that certain services are necessary or you may request services that are not covered by your insurance plan. If this happens, we will inform you before the service is provided. In some cases, your insurance plan may require that you sign a waiver indicating that you understand that the service is not covered and that you will be responsible for the charges.
	Financial Policy - Payment Options The practice accepts VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Cards as well as personal checks, cash and debit cards. There is a $25.00 charge for each check returned by your bank. If you have a payment due balance over $300, we can offer a payment plan. If you need to establish an affordable payment plan, please ask to speak to our financial counselor in the Business Office and they will assist you with this matter.

If you have any other questions or concerns that are not addressed in our policies, please do not hesitiate to contact us.