Emergency Care
In the event of an emergency, refer to the guidelines set out by your insurance
company. If you go to the hospital emergency room, ask them to contact your physician
or the covering physician. If the situation is not severe and arises while the
office is closed, please contact us and the answering service will notify the
physician on call.
Telephone Calls
If you have questions concerning your care, please call
the office. The staff is well trained to answer most questions. If your call
requires that you speak to the doctor, please leave a message and the doctor will return your
call at the earliest opportunity. Should you have an urgent question while the office is
closed, call us and the answering service will promptly contact your doctor or the covering physician.
Insurance and Billing
For the convenience of our patients, we
participate in a wide range of insurance programs.
Please review the list of plans we accept. Any insurance
plans with which we do not participate are likely to have
out-of-network benefits that will allow our physicians to treat
those members. Our staff will be happy to provide answers about
insurance coverage. Call them at 510.857.1000 or
510.739.6520.
Please remember that all co-pays are due at the time of your visit. For your convenience, we accept Visa and MasterCard. Qualified patients can take advantage of our attractive payment plans. Questions regarding payment should be directed to the billing office at 510.505.1090.
Authorizations
Authorization from your insurance provider is necessary for most tests and all
surgical procedures. To obtain authorization, our staff must contact your
insurance company and make a formal request. This process takes time and we ask for your
patience. Each insurance company's
response time varies. If you do not hear from our office concerning a request for
authorization within five working days, please
call us to inquire the status of the request.
Cancellations
Should you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, we ask that you
contact the office at least 24 hours in
advance.
New Conditions
If you are a current patient with a new condition, please notify
our staff and we will direct you to the appropriate specialist.
New conditions often require prior authorization to be treated.
Without authorizations, your appointment may be delayed.
Cellular Phones
We ask that you
please refrain from using your cell phone while in with the doctor.
How to Have a Great Visit With Us
- Please bring your insurance card
- Please assemble and bring with you all records relevant to your condition or injury such as records from other physicians, copies of Xrays, MRIs or other electro diagnostic studies. Also, if you are taking any medications, list the names and dosages.
- Before your visit, take a minute to write down when your problem started, how it began, where and how it bothers you the most. This will help both you and the doctor get the most out of your time.