SpineAustin Office Policies

Appointments

Your scheduled appointment time has been reserved specifically for you. We request 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment. After missing your second appointment with us, it is possible you may not be able to schedule another appointment at SpineAustin.

Referrals & Pre-Authorizations—Office Visits

Required insurance authorizations are the responsibility of the patient. Please obtain them prior to making your appointment at SpineAustin if possible. Patients must bring these authorizations to their appointments or they risk not being able to see the physician.

Referrals & Pre-Authorizations—X-Ray, MRI or CT Scan

Patients must give SpineAustin at least 48 hours to obtain their pre-certification number. Once we receive the pre-certification number, we will call you with that number, and you may then schedule your X-ray, MRI or CT-Scan appointment. Medicare does not require any pre-certification.

Insurance Benefits

SpineAustin is committed to helping you maximize your insurance benefits. Because insurance policies vary, we can only estimate your coverage in good faith but cannot guarantee coverage due to the complexities of insurance contracts. Your estimated patient portion must be paid at the time of service. As a service to our patients, SpineAustin will bill insurance companies for services and allow them 45 days to render payment. After 90 days, patients are responsible for the entire balance, paid-in-full. If you have any questions, our staff is always available to answer them.

Insurance Information

If you do not have the required insurance information at the time of your office visit, you will be asked to pay in full for your office visit if you wish to see the doctor. This applies even if you have valid medical insurance but cannot provide the required insurance information at the time of your visit. You will be reimbursed if you can later provide valid insurance information and/or referrals if necessary. If you do not wish to pay at that time, you always have the option of rescheduling your visit.

Co-Payments and Deductibles

All office visit fees, if your medical insurance requires them, are due on the day of your appointment and must be collected at that time. Please contact your insurance company to find out if office visit fees are necessary and for the specific amount. Full office visit fees payable at the time of appointment are required for patients without medical insurance unless arrangements have been made with SpineAustin’s Business Manager prior to scheduling the appointment.

Forms Policy

SpineAustin requires that patients who wish to have paperwork completed by our staff allow five (5) business days for the completion of the forms. There is a fee for this service; please inquire about fee schedule at the time of request. These forms include but are not limited to Family Medical & Leave Act, Short Term Disability, Return to Work and other similar employer requests. Due to the nature of our clinic and physician schedules, we need the necessary time to perform these functions. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Prescription Policy

Prescription refill requests must come from your pharmacy. You must request refills at your pharmacy 48 hours in advance, and pharmacies must provide SpineAustin with 48 hours notice. If no refills remain, your pharmacy will be notified, and you will be required to call our office to schedule an appointment. SpineAustin does not honor requests on a Friday afternoon and prior to holidays without the proper amount of time; please be conscious of the 48 hour rule. Prescription refill requests can only be processed through the requesting pharmacy via fax. SpineAustin does not refill prescription requests made by calling our office.