NEUROLOGY ASSOCIATES, P.C.
2631 SOUTH 70TH STREET
LINCOLN NE 68506
(402) 483-7226
Lewiston W. Birkmann, M.D. James A. Bobenhouse, M.D.
Gary L. Pattee, M.D. Brian L. Boes, M.D.
John C. Puente, M.D. Matthew S. Kniss, M.D.
We welcome you as a new patient and appreciate the opportunity to provide you with medical service. This information is designed to answer many questions you may have. We want you to know our policies so that we may better serve you.
Our physicians are Board-Certified Neurologists with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and members of the American Academy of Neurology. A neurologist is a physician who has specialized in medical training in disorders affecting the nervous system. The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles. Pain problems, especially headache, fall within the neurology field. The nervous system may be affected directly by illness or injury or may be involved as a result of disease of other parts of the body.
We provide consultation service upon referral from other physicians only. You must maintain your own primary care physician.
OFFICE HOURS
Our office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our telephone hours are from 8-12 and 1-4:30 Monday through Friday. Although we do have a physician on call 24 hours a day, please be aware that all non-emergent phone calls, i.e. billing questions, prescription refills, status reports and test results are to be addressed during office hours. If you have an emergency, please go to the nearest emergency room.
APPOINTMENTS
Appointments may be made by calling 483-7226 during office hours. We will make every effort to provide you with prompt attention for your convenience. On occasion, an emergency can cause scheduling conflicts. When possible, you will be notified if there will be a delay of your appointment due to an emergency. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance.
***FAILURE TO CANCEL AN APPOINTMENT AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE WILL RESULT IN A “NO-SHOW” CHARGE OF $100.00***
OUTPATIENT CLINICS
We do hold clinics in the outlying communities of Auburn, Beatrice, Fairbury, Geneva, Nebraska City, and York. To schedule an appointment in these clinics, you need to contact the Outpatient Clinic department at the hospital, with the exception of Beatrice, which our Lincoln office schedules. You will receive a bill from the hospital for a “use fee”. You will also receive a bill from our office for the physician’s charges. Please be aware that these visits will be considered “outpatient” and are covered differently than office visits under some insurance policies. Please check with your insurance company before scheduling an appointment in these clinics if you have any questions about how they pay for these services.
PRESCRIPTIONS AND RENEWALS
Prescriptions and renewals of prescriptions should be requested during regular office hours when your medical record is available. When requesting a refill contact your pharmacy and they will contact us directly. Try to call several days before your prescription runs out, as we are not always able to get the approval the same day we receive the request. This depends on the availability of each physician and the number of requests each day. We generally will not renew prescriptions for more than six months without seeing you again. Requests for controlled medications, i.e. narcotic pain medications, cannot be handled after office hours.
PHONE CALLS
Our office staff can answer some of your calls. We realize that all questions/concerns are important. However, due to the high volume of phone calls received each day, calls indicating an urgent medical necessity will be given priority. Therefore, we are not always able to return all phone calls the same day, but we will do our best to return each call in a timely manner.
TEST RESULTS
If one of our physicians orders tests for you, we will contact you with the results. However, if you have not heard from us within one week, please call the office and ask for your doctor’s nurse. Please realize that some tests do take longer to obtain the results, i.e. sent to an out-of-state laboratory. **NOTE: Please be sure to check with your insurance company regarding coverage/preauthorization, before you have the tests completed.
CHARGES
As “consultants” to other physicians, we are required to extend time and effort in evaluation of more complex medical problems than average. For this reason, your initial consultation may be $85.00 to $325.00 or more. This depends on the time required, outside review of x-rays or records, long distance calls, letters to third parties, etc. Charges for electrodiagnostic studies for nerve and muscle problems will be additional, and can be up to several hundred dollars, depending on actual studies performed. Charges for follow-up visits are generally less than the initial consultation, again depending on the extent of the visit.
PAYMENT FOR SERVICES
Payment in full is expected at the time of service. We will accept cash, personal checks, Visa, Mastercard and Discover Card.
We will expect payment of any co-pay and/or any percentage that is your responsibility to pay. Our physicians participate with the following insurance companies: Medicare, Humana Medicare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska including their Managed Care Medicare Plan, Private HealthCare Systems, Midlands Choice, Coventry, One Health Plan, Choicecare, United Healthcare, and Mailhandlers (Coventry/First Health only).
AUTHORIZATION/PRE-AUTHORIZATION
Some insurance companies require written preauthorization (i.e. Tricare Prime, Out-of-State BCBS Plans, etc), and it is your responsibility to see that we have any authorizations before services are rendered. Consultations, follow-up visits, and any tests may require preauthorization.
If you are a Welfare/Medicaid recipient, you need to show your current Medicaid card to our receptionist. We do participate with Share Advantage Medicaid.
In the case of motor vehicle accidents or legal cases where another party is presumed liable for your expense, we look to you (the party receiving service) for payment and cannot be expected to wait for the conclusion of a lengthy settlement before being paid. You are expected to settle your account as above. We will file worker’s compensation claims to your employer, and motor vehicle accident/liability claims to the proper insurance company, however we will request copies of your health insurance information in the event of denial by these companies. You will be responsible for any balances not covered by workers compensation, motor vehicle/liability, or health insurance.
Due to the numerous insurance companies and policies, and the variation in policies, we cannot be expected to know what kind of coverage you have with your insurance. You will need to review your policy and contact your insurance company if you have any questions concerning what they will pay for and what they will not.
Your health is our primary concern. We understand your position as a patient and will do everything possible to serve your best interest with every courtesy.