DFW Spine Joint & Pain proudly serves the North Fort Worth Area and offers flexible scheduling options at our state-of-the-art office. To set up an appointment, please CONTACT US HERE.
Appointments, Cancellations, and “No-Shows”
Please try to arrive a few minutes early for your appointment to allow time for sign-in. We understand that unexpected circumstances occur. However, patients who arrive more than 15 minutes late for their appointment are subject to being rescheduled. If you must cancel your appointment for any reason, we must be notified 24 hours in advance. This allows for our patients on the waiting list to get the care they deserve. Appointment slots are very important. If we are not given proper notice, you will be subject to a $35 fee at your next appointment. If your appointment was missed due to an emergency, please provide those records to waive the “no-show” fee.
Early Appointment Requests
We do our best to accommodate patients needing earlier appointments than allowed. In this instance we will approve only on a case-by-case basis and request remaining medication be brought into your appointment to confirm opioid compliance. The pharmacies cannot provide early refills of opioid medications.
Getting the most from your visit
As our schedule fills quickly, we request you stay in contact with our office regarding any pertinent lab work and radiology reports. Although we will make every effort to contact you regarding your lab or test results, please do not assume that “no news is good news.” Occasionally, due to factors beyond our control, results do not get sent to our office or rarely become lost. Thus, it is your responsibility to follow-up on the results of your tests particularly if you have not heard back from us in a timely manner. To ensure efficiency of your time and the time of our staff we appreciate your complete contact information including contact number, insurance changes, and address changes. If we are unable to reach you and your appointment is missed a no- show fee will be charged. Please check with our receptionist to ensure we have a complete and correct chart on file at each appointment.
Opioid Compliance
As a pain management specialist-controlled substances may be commonly prescribed. In the instance you have received a controlled substance prescription, please understand we monitor compliance very closely. We do not write for more than thirty days of medication at a time and in turn, will not fill these prescriptions early. We do not view running out of medication to be an emergency. You are responsible for taking your medication in the way it was prescribed. If you run out of medication before your next appointment, you may not be issued more medication, unless at the discretion of the physician or nurse practitioner. No refills or medication changes will be given after hours on weekends or holidays. Narcotics will not be refilled unless you are seen in the office monthly and comply with the pain management therapy program. Please remember that it is your responsibility to monitor your medication usage and to plan for your follow-up visit if you need a refill. We suggest you do not wait until you are out of medication to call and check on your appointment slot or make an appointment. We do also collect urine samples on a random basis. Once you have checked in you will not be able to leave the premises without this collection. Please refer to our opioid contract given when we established a new patient relationship for all rules and regulations. You may be subject to discharge if you do not comply. Please request a copy if you need reference.
Courtesy to other patients
Many of our patients suffer from respiratory problems, allergies, migraines, etc., as a courtesy to those patients please:
Telephone Communication
We are happy to address your questions or concerns via telephone whenever possible. However, treating you by phone without a proper face-to-face evaluation has many potential pitfalls and will be avoided. You certainly would not ask your mechanic to diagnose and treat your car’s problem by telephone. Clearly, your health deserves better treatment. Please do not ask us to call in medications without an office visit. In addition, most providers are advised not to give “complex information” or discuss “emotionally charged issues” via telephone. Thus, we hope that if someone from our staff calls requesting a return visit to discuss test results, you will understand and not just assume the worst. For those issues that can be resolved via telephone however, we strive to address them by the conclusion of each business day. However, unexpected circumstances do occasionally occur so please allow one business day for answers to telephone inquiries.
FMLA / Disability Form Requests
We may fill out FMLA on a case-by-case basis. There is a fee associated with this of $25. However, we do not fill out disability form requests. If you do require disability, you will need to have these forms completed by your primary care physician or appropriate surgeon whom you would be referred to.
Billing/Financial Hardships
We make every effort to explain all insurance plan benefits at the time of establishing a doctor-patient relationship. However, it is your responsibility to understand your insurance benefits and costs you may be responsible for. Payment is due at the time of service. Please see our front desk for any additional insurance questions you may have.
During the course of treatment by Integrated Spine, Joint and Pain Care (ISJPC), charges will be accumulated and routinely filed with the responsible parties reported form of payment. Please read the below categories to understand our policy for each.
Insurance Policy Holders:
Charges not covered by your insurance company such as patient co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance will be your responsibility and are due at the time of service. If your insurance company requires a “referral” from your primary care physician, you will need to contact PCP for the referral.
Treatment provided by this office without the required referral will serve as your consent for treatments not covered by insurance and will be payable at the time of service. Any claim not paid for your insurance within 60 days from the date filed, will become account holder responsibility and payable upon billing. Keep in mind, at times your insurance may not pay for the services discussed with your provider. Your insurance only pays for covered items and services when its rules are met, for example obtaining appropriate referrals from your primary care physician.
The fact that your insurance may not pay for a particular item or service does not mean that you should not receive it. There may be a good reason your doctor recommended it. Note: Our company waives responsibility for unknowingly treating any Medicare policy holding patient if you do not disclose this information before services are rendered.
Our office will only accept secondary insurance policies that have verified benefits and coverage limit before time of service. In some cases, your responsibility may become due with a refund if payment is received from your secondary carrier.
Letter of Protection and Personal Injury Protection:
You understand you will be charged for all services received by ISJPC and the bill is your responsibility. You have authorized an attorney to protect all medical debt accumulated with any settlement received. You will also sign a release of payment directly to provider if your carrier opts to mail payment to patient first. If for any reason, attorney representation is discontinued the account holder becomes immediately responsible for all charges incurred.
Private Pay:
Patients in hardship choosing to pay out of pocket may be offered fair rates to receive as much affordable care as possible. Payment is due in full at time of services.
Payment Plans:
Contact your receptionist to learn more about services that allow payment plan set up.
Consent to Treatment
Patients have the right to refuse any procedure or treatment and the right to discuss all medical treatments with my provider.