Welcome! Thank you for choosing SETMA to provide your primary healthcare needs. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. May we suggest several things you can do that will help us serve you better?
- Always check in with the receptionist - even if you have only come in for lab work, a blood pressure check, or injection. This helps us make sure that your visit is an convenient to you as possible.
- Your current insurance card should be presented to the receptionist when you check in for your appointment on every visit. A photo l.D. (driver's license, military l.D., etc.) will also be requested for identification purposes. This helps us make sure there is no confusion between patients with the same or similar names.
- When discussing your medical needs with our staff, be as specific and descriptive as possible about your condition. Information regarding time of onset, number of episodes, temperature readings, swelling, drainage, color, etc. are very important to proper diagnosis. This is the first step in your participating in “shared-decision making” in your patient-centered medical home.
- Bring your medications with you when you see the doctor. The names of the medications, dosages, and how often you take them will help the doctor determine the best course of treatment for you. A thorough medication reconciliation will be completed upon every encounter to increase your safety and the quality of care you receive.
- It is a good policy to always get the name of the person to whom you are speaking for future reference, particularly when you are on the telephone. This will help us make certain that the quality of care you receive is at the highest standard.
- When requesting written prescriptions for routine medications, please allow 48 business hours for authorization. Please provide the following information:
- the exact name of the drug
- the dosage
- the frequency - how often you take it
- the number of refills needed -- Example: Synthroid 0.05 Mg, take by mouth one time daily, refill X 3 months.
SETMA uses electronic prescribing methods which increases the safety of your care and insures the quality of your medication needs. You can read on our website about the complexity of medication reconciliation. Your help in helping us make sure that you are taking the right medication is important.
All office fees, co-payments, and deductibles should be paid when patient checks-in. (We do not wish to cause embarrassment or hardship for any patient. Please let us know immediately if you have a financial question or problem._
- Insurance does not cover everything or 100% of what is covered. There are always limitations and exclusions to coverage. There are out-of-pocket costs for all patients. If you cannot afford your medication, let your provider know. It may be possible for us to help you with your medications.
- Even with two or more insurance plans, there may be amounts or services not covered and for which the patient is directly responsible.
- All insurance has patient cost-sharing requirements. They are called deductibles and co-payments.
- Many insurance plans designate 80% coverage. Remember, the 80% is on an amount set by the insurance plan. This set amount is usually lower than our current fee. This is a common coverage limitation. The patient portion of payment will be whatever insurance does not cover.
- "Assignment" simply means the patient requests insurance payment be made directly to the physician. This is not payment in full. The patient is responsible for the designated balance.
In the patient-centered medical home, the partnership between the patient and the healthcare provider is essential to providing you with the best medical care possible. As we all learn more about this new dynamic of care we will perform:
- Shared-decision making
- Patient Activation
- Patient Engagement
- Patient-centered conversations
- Self-management education opportunities
Ask your healthcare provider to explain these terms to you. Thank you for committing your care to SETMA.
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