Patient Information
Insurance and Billing Information
At the time of the exam, you will be asked to pay any applicable co-pay.
Because we do our best to keep all medical costs down, we ask that you pay
for your insurance co-payments and deductibles at the time services are rendered.
We accept most major health insurance contracts, but you must provide proof of
coverage prior to seeing a doctor. For those insurances requiring a referral from
a primary care physician, we ask that you obtain the referral prior to your visit.
Please note that the financial responsibility for services rendered rests with the
patient or responsible party, regardless of any insurance coverage. Our staff will
file your insurance claims at no charge. Please have your insurance information available
when you come for a visit and keep copies of all billing information so you can follow up
on claims with your insurance company if necessary.
We do not hold accounts pending settlement of a third party claim. For your convenience,
we accept cash, personal checks, VISA®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover® cards
and Bank Debit Cards.
Appointments
Many patients come to us through referral from other physicians and practices. You may,
however, make an appointment to see most of our doctors without a referral from another
physician. While we want you to see the physician of your choice, the physician’s
availability may be limited because of scheduling conflicts.
If this happens, we will make arrangements for another Houma Orthopedic Clinic physician
to see you. We ask that, whenever possible, a return appointment for regular checkups be
made before you leave the clinic. Appointments by telephone should be made at least one
week in advance to give you (the patient) the ability to obtain all tests and records.
If you must cancel an appointment, please notify our office as soon as possible.
During your appointment, you will be asked about your medical history. Give some thought
to what you want to tell your doctor and to what questions you need to ask. After your
examination, your doctor may give you prescriptions, instructions, or other recommendations.
We encourage you to ask questions. Your thorough understanding is very important to us.
Houma Orthopedic Clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Because your time is valuable, we work on an appointment
basis only. An appointment at Houma Orthopedic Clinic can be made by calling (985) 868-1540.
If surgery is required, we will schedule the day and location of the procedure for you.
Many procedures can be performed at Gulf Coast Surgical Center. For those procedures
that do not qualify as outpatient, our doctors maintain active privileges at Physician’s
Medical Center as well as Terrebonne General Medical Center.
Unfortunately, many medical emergencies involving our area of medical specialty occur
outside of normal business hours. We realize the importance of being available to you in
the event of a medical emergency. A member of our group is available 7-days per week,
24-hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
In the event you or a family member is told to go to the hospital emergency department,
ask the admitting personnel to contact the Houma Orthopedic Clinic physician on call as
soon as you arrive. If you or a family member think you have a medical emergency, call
(985) 868-1540 and our answering service will put you in touch with the physician on call
or refer you to the appropriate facility.
Prescription Refills
We want to process your request for prescription refills as quickly as possible. When
you need a prescription refill, please notify your pharmacist or call our office.
Calls received after 5:00 p.m. for routine refills will be handled on the next business
day. To ensure a prescription does not run out, call us at least 24 hours in advance.
So that we may provide you with the best care possible, please bring a list of all your
medications when you come for your appointment. Our policy is to refill prescriptions
only during office hours. All scheduled pain medication is dispensed by written
prescription only.
We will need the name of the medication, pharmacy name, and pharmacy phone number.
In addition, we will need the patients name, address, and date of birth to ensure
proper medication control. Please have this information ready when you call. During
evenings, weekends, and holidays, the doctor on call does not have immediate access
to your records. Therefore, routine prescriptions cannot be refilled during this time.
Please contact the office during weekdays and before your medication has completely
run out.
Privacy Notice
Houma Orthopedic Clinic respects your privacy. We understand that your personal health
information is very sensitive. We will not disclose your information to others unless
you tell us to do so, or unless the law authorizes or requires us to do so.
The Notice of Privacy Practices describes in more detail how your health information
may be used and disclosed, and how you can access your medical information. When you
visit us, you will be asked to sign an acknowledgement that you have been informed of
the Notice of Privacy Practices.