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Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
Our office
employs nurses and medical assistants with
experience in dermatologic care. They can answer
many medical questions and are happy to assist
you. Here are some common questions and answers.
What if I have an emergency?
In case of emergency after hours, the doctors
can be reached by pager. If the emergency is
life threatening, please call 911.
How do I get drug prescriptions and
refills?
All prescriptions and refills should be
requested during regular office hours Please
have your pharmacy call us for refills.
How do I pay for the services?
Payment is expected at the time of service. We
accept cash, check, VISA and Mastercard. You
will receive an itemized statement on the day of
your appointment (or a few days later for some
surgery procedures) that can be filed with your
insurance company. When a surgery is performed,
you will be asked for a deposit on the day of
the procedure and will be billed later for the
balance.
We also serve as providers for several PPO's and
HMO's. Copayment is expected at the time of
service.
Do you accept Medicare?
Yes, we accept Medicare assignment. Medicare
patients will be billed for any deductible,
copayment or services not covered by Medicare.
Accepting assignment means that we accept the
amount that Medicare allows. They pay 80% of the
allowable (provided the patient has met their
deductible) and the patient pays the remaining
20%.
What's the
difference between a doctor's referral and an
insurance referral?
A doctor's referral is a request for our
services, and is often called a consultation
request. It is also a correspondence from one
doctor to another stating treatments,
medications, history or illnesses/conditions
that have been tried on a patient prior to being
referred to our office.
An insurance referral is a requirement of a
managed care insurance company. If a patient has
Managed Care insurance (such a an HMO), they
will always need an insurance referral to be
seen by a specialty department. The insurance
referral is written by the patient's primary
care physician.
How much are Dermatology office visits?
Our office visit charges vary due to the
complexity of your visit. New patient
consults/office visit charges can range from $70
to $300 or more. This amount is for the office
visit only and does not include any surgical
procedures. Your insurance company will
determine the final costs of our your visit and
any procedures you may have done. By law, we
will never charge more than your insurance
company will allow.
If you
are without insurance, you will be classified as
a "self-pay" patient. New self-pay patient
office visits begin at $70. This does not
include charges for procedures, medications or
products. A follow-up office visit for a
"self-pay patient begins at $50. This does not
include charges for procedures, medications or
products.
We do not charge a
fee for missed or rescheduled appointments.
Do you have a physician who specializes in
African American, Asian or other ethnic skin
conditions?
All of our physicians and physician assistants
are expert in the treatment of all skin types.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Call our offices at 817-795-7546. If you are a
new patient you will be connected to our New
Patient Scheduling department and scheduled for
an appointment. If you leave a voicemail for
this department, someone will call you that day
or the next to schedule your appointment.
If you
are an established patient, you can call our
offices or request your next appointment via our
Patient Portal.
How
long does it take to make an appointment in
Dermatology?
An average wait time for an appointment in
Dermatology is approximately 2-3 weeks. However,
exceptions are always made for urgent
appointments.
Do I need an insurance referral to come to
Dermatology?
You will need an insurance referral if you have
Managed Care insurance. Your Primary Care
Physician (PCP) will be able to provide that
referral for you. If you are uncertain whether
you need an insurance referral, you should call
the number on the back of your insurance card
and speak to a representative.
What is the difference between a referral and
an authorization?
A referral comes from your Primary Care
Physician (PCP). It lets the specialist know the
reason for your appointment and what services
the PCP will allow us to offer to you. It is a
requirement of Managed Care insurance. Without a
referral from your PCP, you will be responsible
for payment at the time of service.
An authorization comes from the insurance
company. In some cases, both a referral (from
your PCP) and an authorization (from your
insurance company) are needed for a visit to a
dermatologist. If you are uncertain whether you
need an insurance authorization, you should call
the number on the back of your insurance card
and speak with a representative.
What do your physicians specialize in?
Our physicians specialize in many diseases of
the skin, including psoriasis, severe acne and
eczema, dermatitis, cutaneous t-cell lymphoma,
alopecia, lichen planus, tinea versicolor,
vitiligo, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell
carcinoma, melanoma, among many other skin
conditions.
If I need a biopsy, is that done
at the time of the office visit?
Your first appointment is for a consultation.
However, many times a biopsy will be performed
at that visit if your insurance will allow it.
The decision to do a biopsy at your consultation
appointment is always a decision you and your
provider make together.
How long will my first appointment take?
We generally advise patients to plan on being in
our office for 30 to 60 minutes. The actual time
will depend on the complexity of your skin
problem and if a biopsy is needed. We also
suggest you arrive 15 minutes before your
appointment to complete any paperwork prior to
being seen by our physicians.
Do you need me to bring my medications with
me?
A list of all of the medications that you are
currently taking, as well as a list of those to
which you are allergic, would be very helpful to
the physician you are scheduled to see. Please
bring that list of medications with you to your
consultation appointment.
How are Dermatologists different from other
Doctors?
Dermatologists are doctors that have received a
four (4) year medical degree and at least one
additional year of general medical training
(formerly termed internship) and three years of
skin specialization.
Dr. Angela Moore
also utilized Physician Assistants and Nurse
Practitioners in her practice. These individuals
are state certified as physician extenders and
work under the supervision of Dr. Moore. Each
extender has an intensive medical training
degree and has spent at least one year of
additional training with Dr. Moore before
beginning treatment of patients.
What are the appointment times?
Appointments can be scheduled from 7:00 am to
3:00 pm Monday through Thursday and 7am to
11:45am on Fridays. We are not open on Saturday
or Sunday.
Is the Doctor running on time?
The physicians and physician extenders at
Arlington Center for Dermatology make every
effort to maintain appointment times within a
twenty (20) minute window. If there is a longer
delay, patients are welcome to reschedule their
appointment. Everyone's time is important.
Why do I constantly need to complete
insurance/health forms?
Updated health information is important to the
delivery of optimal health care and insurers
make this a requirement. We ask that our
patients update their forms yearly, but if there
has been no change in health/dermatological
status, simply sign and date the form indicating
no change. If your insurance changes and you do
not inform us of this change, you may become
liable for all of the charges not covered by
your new insurance.
Are all these people in front of Me? Are they
all seeing one Doctor?
In our office, it is not uncommon for two or
four providers to be seeing patients at one
time. We also have cosmetic patients and
research study patients with appointments as
well. This creates a busy waiting room. Our goal
is that our patients do not wait longer than 20
minutes.
How do I get a refill on my prescription?
You should obtain refills while at your next
visit. Your prescriptions will be sent
electronically to your pharmacy to be picked up
there. If our office has not seen you for
sometime, you may be required to schedule an
appointment to obtain your refills. You can ask
your pharmacy to request a refill from our
office or you can use the
Patient Portal
to request a refill. If you been seen recently,
the provider will most likely authorize a
refill. If you need to make an appointment
before obtaining a refill, you request may be
denied. Please contact our office if you have
any problems with refilling your medications.
Who do I contact if I have a question about
my bill or insurance claim?
Our billing department can be reached at (817)
795-7546. Their hours are from 7.00 am to 4:00
pm Monday through Thursday and 7am to noon on
Fridays. You can also obtain a copy of your
statements on the
Patient Portal and can send questions to the
billing department about your account through
the Patient Portal
as well.
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