LATE AND MISSED APPOINTMENT POLICY
Appointment Reminders: We utilize an automated appointment reminder system to notify patients of upcoming appointments. These appointment reminders are generated automatically and sent from mail servers through Practice Fusion®, our electronic health record (EHR) system. These messages are sent one week and one day before the scheduled appointment. This is a HIPAA-compliant system that will only identify the patient by name and date of birth. The appointment details will only indicate the name of the practice or provider and date and time of the appointment. No information will be provided to indicate the reason for the visit to protect patient privacy.
Late Arrivals: At Scenic City Family Practice, we put our faith in you to keep your appointment and be on time. When we schedule an appointment, a specific amount of time is reserved especially for you! Because appointments are in high demand, if for any reason you must cancel or change your appointment, it is important that you give our office at least 24 hours’ notice to offer that spot to someone else. Please call us at 423-661-3600 if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
Patients arriving later than their actual scheduled appointment time will be considered late. For any late arrivals, the provider has the sole authority to determine if he will see the patient. If the provider is able to accommodate the late arrival, the patient will be checked-in at that time and the visit will proceed as previously scheduled. If the provider is unable to accomodate the late arrival, other options will be offered to the patient to assist with his/her medical needs.
If you’re late: When we reserve time for you, we require all of that time to provide you with the best quality care possible. When you are late it decreases our ability to accomplish this goal. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your in office appointment time or 5 minutes for your telehealth appointment, you may be rescheduled in order to meet the needs of those who are on time. Priority will be given to the patients who arrive on time. One or two late patients can cause the entire daily schedule to fall behind. This is an inconvenience to everyone. We strive to see every patient as close to their appointment time as possible.
If you arrive late, the provider may need to reschedule. Our staff will check to see where they are in the day and either fit you in, or schedule you at a later date or time.
All new patients are instructed to report for their appointment 30 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment time. This 30-minute advance arrival is required in order to complete the check-in process and update any administrative requirements. Additionally, this time allows patients to be medically screened by a clinical staff member prior to being seen by the provider. If you are a new patient and you arrive at the scheduled appointment time and not early enough to complete the check in process you may also be asked to reschedule.
Cancellations and No Shows: Scenic City Family Practice requires a 24-hour cancellation notice for all scheduled appointments as a courtesy to our staff and other patients. Please make sure to contact our office promptly if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. A $75 no-show fee may be applied to your account if we do not receive adequate notice. This no-show fee is the patient’s responsibility to pay and will not be billed to your insurance company. We understand that emergencies can occur and we will take that into account before applying any fees to your balance.
If you need to reschedule your appointment, please call our office. It is our policy that after three (3) missed appointments we reserve the right to discharge you from our practice.
Inclement Weather: In the case of inclement weather, power outages or medical emergencies, patients with scheduled appointments will be contacted via phone by our staff at the primary phone number provided to our staff. If you have not received a practice closure message and question whether the practice is open, please call us at 423-661-3600 prior to coming to your appointment.
Please make every effort to arrive on time for your appointment if the practice is open during inclement weather. However, for patient safety, late arriving patients will be accommodated as best as possible. If the practice is closed, appointments will be automatically cancelled. Patients will be contacted to reschedule their appointments as soon as the practice re-opens. If you are unable to make an appointment due to inclement weather, please call the practice at 423-661-3600 to cancel your appointment.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. Challenges to good health care are presented every day. We want to meet those challenges head on, but with as much concern for your time and care as we can.
FINANCIAL POLICY
Insurance Verification: At each visit, the patient must provide an active insurance card with current, correct information. Without proof of insurance, the patient may be rescheduled. Scenic City Family Practice makes it a priority to verify proof of a patient’s insurance, however, it is the patient’s responsibility to know his/her benefits for all medical services including wellness benefits prior to time of service. Any balance left unpaid by insurance remains the patient’s responsibility.
Insurance Processing: Please understand that payment of your bill is considered part of your services/treatment. The patient and/or guarantor are responsible for charges incurred. It is a courtesy for our office to file your insurance; however, you are responsible for your co-pay or deductible which the insurance company is not liable for on the day of your visit. Insurance companies require Scenic City Family Practice to collect co-pays, deductibles or co-insurance amounts at the time of service. A deposit equal to 1/3 of costly procedures or visits is required in advance for services not covered by the patient’s insurance.
Outstanding Balances: Scenic City Family Practice contracts with most insurance companies for patient services. The patient remains financially responsible for all his or her care, but the remaining balance for services rendered to the patient will not be billed to the patient until payment is received from the insurance company, the insurance company denies the claim, or the insurance company unreasonably fails to pay in a timely manner. A statement will be sent to the patient or responsible party. The billed amount on the statement is due when the first statement is received.
Patients will be asked to settle any outstanding balances with Scenic City Family Practice before their next appointment. You may pay any outstanding balances at any time in our office or over the phone with credit card. Patients with outstanding balances may be declined treatment or triaged for non-emergency until the balance is resolved. Patient balances which are not resolved in a timely manner will be sent to an outside collection agency. If the balance is transferred to an outside agency, the patient will be responsible for paying any additional collection fees associated with the collection of the patient balance. As of January 2015, all unpaid balances 30 days after insurance processing will incur a 19% Interest Rate.Please pay balances to avoid interest being added to your account.
Patient Accounts with outstanding balances and no payment activity will be forwarded to a collection agency at the patient’s expense. In addition to any outstanding balances, the Patient or the Patient’s representative who signs the Acknowledgement of Notice of Financial Policy agrees to pay addition collection processing fees of 30% of the original balance plus all costs associated with such collection activity, including interest incurred and reasonable attorney and court fees.
24-Hour Cancellation Policy: Scenic City Family Practice requires a 24-hours cancellation notice for all appointments as a courtesy to our staff and other patients needing medical attention. Please make sure to contact our office promptly if you need to cancel/reschedule your appointment. If we do not receive adequate notice, a $75 no-show fee will applied to your balance. THIS FEE WILL NOT BE BILLED TO YOUR INSURANCE. We understand that emergencies can occur and we will take that into account before applying any fees to your balance.
Payments: Scenic City Family Practice accepts cash, checks, Visa, AMEX, MasterCard, and Discover. There is a $30.00 fee for all returned checks.
Payment can be paid in person or mailed to:
SCENIC CITY FAMILY PRACTICE
1042 Graysville Rd, Suite 2
Chattanooga, TN 37421
SCENIC CITY FAMILY PRACTICE 