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What To Expect:
FIRST VISIT
Please allow 15 minutes on your first visit for completion of paperwork. Not only will we need to confirm your insurance information, but we will want as much information about your medical condition as possible. This includes not only information about your reason for seeing Dr. Vapnek, but as much information as you can provide about any other medical issues you might have, including prior hospitalizations, surgeries, prescription medications, non-prescription medications, social habits, and allergies to medications and environment. To save time, you are welcome to download our forms from the website and fill them in before arrival.
If your insurance plan requires a referral, please make sure that your primary care physician has taken care of this in advance, or else bring the referral with you. When this type of paperwork is incomplete, this can significantly delay your visit, and in some cases, it may not be possible for the doctor to see you at all. Unfortunately, this is not the fault of our office. Insurance companies, which are for-profit, create all sorts of obstacles to delay or prevent medical care. If Dr. Vapnek sees you without a necessary referral, the insurance company has no legal requirement to pay for your visit.
In most cases, Dr. Vapnek, will want to examine a urine specimen on your first visit, so please arrive with your bladder comfortably full and do not visit the restroom before being examined.
FOLLOW-UP VISITS
On subsequent visits to the office, it is also likely that Dr. Vapnek will need to examine a urine specimen, so once again, you should be prepared to give a specimen upon arrival. In some cases, Dr. Vapnek would like to examine you with your bladder full, so you should be prepared for this as well. Most office procedures do not require any other specific preparation.
If you need to cancel an appointment, please do this by telephone and in all cases, make sure this is done more than 24 hours in advance. If you do fail to cancel an appointment within 24 hours or if you simply don’t show up, you may be charged for the visit. After hours, appointments can be made or canceled on the ZocDoc.com website.
Insurance Policy
Dr. Vapnek participates in many, but not all, insurance and managed care plans. Each of these plans has different rules and regulations, but in many cases, referrals are required. If this is the case, please make sure that your primary care physician has taken care of this in advance, or else bring the referral with you. When this type of paperwork is incomplete, this can significantly delay your visit, and in some cases, it may not be possible for the doctor to see you at all. If Dr. Vapnek sees you without a necessary referral, the insurance company has no legal requirement to pay for your visit – so they win and we lose.
Even if Dr. Vapnek does not participate in your insurance plan, many of these plans do have “out of network” benefits. In these cases, it may be necessary for you to pay for the visit up front and submit a claim to your insurance company after the fact. Our office staff will do their best to assist you and may be able to submit this paperwork for you.
When your insurance plan requires a co-pay, this is expected at the time of service, without exception. In many cases, reimbursements are so low that the majority of the responsibility for the office visit is the co-pay itself.
If you require special assistance with any insurance issues or if you need to arrange a payment plan, please discuss this with the office staff. In almost all cases, we can make arrangements suitable to your needs.
Insurance Plans Accepted:
- Aetna
- Beech Street Premier
- CHAMPUS
- Empire Health Choice (Blue Cross & Blue Shield)
- First Health
- Healthnet (PHS)
- Medicare
- Oxford
- PCHS
- United Health Care
- VYTRA
- Workers’ Compensation
