faq's

1. Why do I have to pay my co-pay and coinsurance at the appointment instead of waiting for the insurance company explanation of benefits?
A. Our contracts with the insurance companies mandate our collection of these fees up front. Also, this decreases costs of billing to the office.

2. Why do I have to pay my co-pays at time of service?
A. Your co-pay is part of your contractual agreement with your insurance carrier. If your insurer requires a co-pay for services rendered in a physician’s service, then you are expected to pay this co-pay in order to have your insurance claim filed by the physician. If we accept your co-pay, then we have a contractual obligation to file your claim in a timely manner. Failure to pay your co-pay is a violation of the contract and we are under no obligation to file your claim. You become financially responsible for the fees incurred at the visit. Currently, WHA, PC does collect co-pays at the time of check-in to expedite your check out process.

3. Why do I have to show you my driver’s license at every visit?
A. Unfortunately, health care fraud is on the increase and it helps us lower healthcare costs for all. We verify your picture, current address, and signature to the driver’s license we have on file. It’s similar to most retailers who ask for your driver’s license when you use a major credit card. Fraud hurts everybody.

4. Why do I have to show my insurance card at each visit?
A. Insurance carriers frequently merge, change product lines, and even change their name. In addition, many employers change their benefits throughout the year resulting in us having out-dated or inaccurate information. Your card tells us what co-pay to collect and how to file the claim. In order for us to ensure that we have the most current information to be able to file your insurance claim, we must verify your card(s) at each visit. This is also a requirement of your insurance carrier. If you cannot provide a current copy of your card, then you will be responsible for payment of that day’s services.

5. What methods of payment do you accept?
A. We except cash, credit cards (VISA and Mastercard) and personal checks.

6. What if I don’t have my insurance card for my visit?
A. If we don’t have your card, we cannot verify and confirm your coverage. You will be responsible for paying the full charge at the time of your visit. You may then submit the bill to your insurance company for reimbursement.

7. How late can I be to my appointment without having to be rescheduled?
A. We have a ten minute grace period. We obviously live in an area with terrible traffic patterns. Please plan extra time to get to the office if this is your first visit or for any visit on a bad weather day. Please call us at the first indication that you may be late. We will work with you to try to avoid rescheduling. In fairness to our on-time patients, they are seen at their scheduled time, and late patients are worked into the next gap in the schedule, if available. If you are more than 10 minutes late, please understand that it is likely you will be asked to reschedule.

8. Why would you charge me $50 for not showing or last-minute cancellation of my appointment?
A. This fee would not be charged if you advise us 1 business day prior to the appointment time. However, you should know that failure to notify us not only results in lost revenue to the practice, but a lost opportunity for another patient to be seen at that time.

9. What do you charge for a returned check?
A. There is a $30 fee that must be paid in addition to the amount of the check. Both of these must be paid in cash or bank check. We regret that any checks not paid for must be prosecuted.

10. How much do you charge to fill out disability forms?
A. There is $5-15 charge per form depending on the complexity of the form.

11. Can I take my chart to another medical provider?
A. While the chart itself remains the property of WHA, PC, we can provide a copy. Per state law, we have reasonable copying charges. You need to request a copy of your records in writing before they will be copied and released.

12. I have a large deductible. Can I make multiple payments after my surgery?
A. Unfortunately, we must insist on collecting this money before performing any procedures.

13. What if I have an insurance that does not cover the cost of my baby’s circumcision?
A. If you desire to have your son circumcised, you simply need to pay the cost of this procedure prior to your delivery, preferably by 28 weeks.

14. What happens to those people who do not pay their bill?
A. After two attempts to collect the bill these people are turned over to our Collections Agency. ALL costs associated with and from the Collection Agency are added to their original amount. If not paid, their credit will be marred and we also utilize the court system to enforce these obligations.

15. What do I do if my insurance company sends me the provider’s check?
A. Do NOT cash it and call us ASAP!

16. What should I do when my insurance coverage or contact information changes?
A. Promptly notify WHA, PC. You can call (703) 280-9420 for this assistance.

17. What is HIPAA?
A. HIPAA is a complex set of federal law designed to secure your personal information.

18. Do you make reminder phone calls?
A. Yes, we make reminder phone calls one to two business days before your appointment. This way, if you have to cancel your appointment, we can try to fill that spot. In this very busy world, many patients say they appreciate this reminder phone call.

19. Will you leave a message on my answering machine or voice mail concerning normal lab results?
A. Yes, if you indicate to us on your registration forms which number where you would like a detailed message left.

20. Will you discuss my medical condition, diagnosis, payment, and/or health-care options with my spouse or children?
A. HIPAA regulations require us to obtain your written permission to discuss your medical information with anyone else.

21. What is an Electronic Medical Record?
A. Computerized medical records enable us to access your information more quickly, and record it more legibly. We never have to look for a misplaced chart. Laboratory tests are received electronically which ensures that the results are imported automatically into your chart as soon as they are done. Prescriptions are sent to the pharmacies directly which improves the accuracy and timeliness of prescribing medications.

22. What do I do if I need a refill of my medication?
A. If this is a medication that we have prescribed for you previously, you may call your pharmacy to request them to make an electronic refill request on your behalf. It can take us up to 2 business days to respond to this request. If you are requesting a new prescription, or prescription that was previously given to you by another provider, you must be seen prior to fulfilling this request. We do not fill pain medications or antibiotics over the phone.

23. No doctors ever run on time, so why do you insist that I be on time and have all my paperwork completed?
A. Although emergencies (and babies) happen, we do strive to run on time. If patients before you run late, and we see them anyway, this would inevitably make you late as well, which would not be fair. Please understand that this policy is for your benefit as well as others.

24. Do you take care of high-risk pregnancies?
A. Yes, with some limitations. Inevitably, some pregnancies become high-risk after we begin taking care of them. However, depending on the high-risk reason(s), we may have to work together with a high risk Ob specialist to care for you. When questions arise, these cases are evaluated individually by the physician. If you are interested in transferring into our practice later in your pregnancy, we must have your full records of your previous care to review prior to accepting you into the practice.

25. Why are there so many forms to fill out?
A. Ugh! We hate forms, too. Unfortunately, there are many regulatory and legal aspects associated with providing health care services to you. In order to comply with these various agencies, commissions and managed care entities, it is necessary for us to both provide written information or authorization for this information and secure your acknowledgement or authorization for this information. With the onset of the Privacy Rule code of HIPAA and more Medicare compliance, more forms have been required.

26. When do your phones turn off? How late can I expect a call back?
A. We make call backs until approximately 5PM every night. We do work later on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so it is possible to receive a call back as late as 7PM on these days.

27. Why must I turn off my cell phone when I am in the office?
A. Because the majority of our communication with patients is by voice, we need for patients to be able to hear us and understand us. Conversations on cell phones are distracting to our patients who have difficulty hearing. A cell phone ringing in the office often interrupts the activity in that area. Private conversations should remain private and that can not occur in an open office setting. We appreciate you cooperation and understanding with this policy.

28. Can I bring my children to my appointment?
A. Our medical specialty handles many types of patients and conditions which are particularly vulnerable to childhood illnesses and viruses. To best protect these patients who are at high risk or who are immuno-compromised, we respectfully request that you do not bring sick children to our office. In addition, our exam rooms are not set up for the safety of children. Many of the tools, supplies, and instruments needed to perform the various aspects of OBGYN care are dangerous if used or handled inappropriately. Please help us protect our patients and protect your child. If you bring a very young, active child to our office, please bring someone who can watch him/her in the main waiting area. We do encourage and welcome you to bring your family to the office.”

29. Why does it take 7-10 days to get my test results?
A. Different types of tests have various turnaround times. While we draw our labs in the office, the lab tests are sent out to the reference lab and it may take two to three days to get the results sent back to us. Cultures take up to four days and biopsies can take up to a week or longer. Pap smears generally require 7 days. Once we have the test results, then the physician must review them and document a plan of treatment. Because our physicians also spend time on call, at the hospital and in the operating room, they are not in the office every day to review these results on the exact day they are received. If abnormal, the results are relayed to you by the office staff at the physician’s direction. This whole process can easily take 7 to 10 days based on the coordination of results and the schedule of your physician.

30. Will you call me on all lab results?
A. We do so many labs, paps, cultures and biopsies every day that we can only get phone calls out to those patients with abnormal results. We always call for abnormal results. If you let the doctor know that you really need to hear if a result is normal, tell her at the time of your visit. If you have not received a call 7 days after any test, your result is likely negative/normal. If you would like to confirm this, call the office and speak with our staff.

31. Who do I talk to about my lab charges?
A. You need to call the lab that sent you the bill. We have a lab technician in our office for our patients’ convenience, however, we are not involved in the costs of your lab work in any way. We do not bill for any services and we do not receive any payment or reimbursement from the lab. We send labs to Labcorp, Bioreference Labs and Quest lab.

32. What are your office hours?
A. Our office is open Monday thru Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. We do have evening appointments from 11:00 am to 6:45 pm on Wednesday and from 9:00 am to 7:30 pm on Thursday and we start at 8:00am on Tuesday.

33. What do I do if I need something outside of these hours?
A. A physician is available outside of office hours for medical emergencies and deliveries only. Chronic problems, prescription refills, general questions and appointments scheduling are not emergencies, and we request that you make these calls during normal business hours.