Pain and Spine Specialists 2023 Notification

Welcome to Pain and Spine Specialists! We are thrilled you have chosen our practice to manage your pain management needs. Our overall goal is enhance your quality of living. Now that you have joined the practice, we would like to share with you a few of our policies and address some of our frequently asked questions:
 

APPOINTMENT ARRIVAL

You will be required to provide your most recent insurance card(s) and current photo ID at every appointment. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to every appointment to allow time for check in process. We see patients based on appointment times not arrival times. If you are late to your appointment, we will do our best to accommodate but we cannot guarantee you will be to be evaluated same day if you have missed your appointment.

ALL copays will be due at check in on the day of your appointments.  Note: copay amounts may vary depending on appointment type. Secondary insurances may also require a copay.

Patients should expect to receive an electronic appointment registration request from Health Note. This EMR system will be used to obtain pertinent information prior to your appointment which will help facilitate your visit, so please be sure to complete the questionnaire in its entirety prior to your appointment.

The pandemic and on-going health issues affecting our staff and providers may result in extended wait times in order for us to accommodate all patients. In the event this occurs, we appreciate your patience as we are working diligently to provide the level of care you need in a timely fashion. 

URINES DRUG SCREENS

All patients receiving medications are subject to random urine drug screens. Patients will be responsible for all copays, deductibles and/or coinsurance for this service. The urine drug screen is sent to a specialty lab to obtain quantitative results after we obtain qualitative results in office. This means we run an initial screening in our office and then send the urine drug screen to a specialty lab to obtain a confirmatory report. Patients may receive a bill from our office as well as the outside lab, as they are two separate tests.

INSURANCE

Please be mindful that it is the patient's responsibility to contact our office and notify us of any changes to your insurance PRIOR to your appointment. Waiting until the day of your appointment will result in a delay of your appointment. As a courtesy, our office assists in tracking referrals and checking eligibility, but it is ultimately the patient's responsibility to be aware and track this information.

REFERRALS

Some insurances require an insurance referral from your Primary Care Physician in order to be seen by a specialist. It is the patient’s responsibility to be aware if this is a requirement for their plan. As a courtesy, our office assists in tracking these referrals, but ultimately is the patient’s responsibility to track and contact their PCP when an updated one is required. Referrals must be provided at the time of your appointment or before your appointment.

AUTHORIZATIONS

Select insurance companies require prior authorizations for procedures and/or medications. We start prior authorizations for procedures once they are scheduled. We start prior authorizations for medications once the pharmacy advises us it is required. Please make sure to inform us if you receive notice that a medication prior authorization is required so that we can start the process. Procedure authorizations may take up to 10 business days depending on the type of Insurance.  If a procedure authorization is pending or denied, patients will be notified no later than two business days prior to their scheduled appointment.

Please note that Physical therapy documentation may be required for procedure, imaging and medication authorizations.  Failure to comply with recommended treatment plan could result in denials of appointment and medication request.

Updated imaging is a requirement of the practice.  Current imaging is needed for injections and to prescribe medication.

TESTING

Pain And Spine Specialists of Maryland places significant importance on assessing all aspects of our patient’s health which includes behavioral, mental, and cognitive health.  Neuroflow and Cambridge brain sciences are diagnostic test which play a pivotal role in providing ongoing treatment to allow for us to provide safe and effective treatment. These diagnostic tests and questionnaire are part of your treatment plan.

BEHAVIOR

Unprofessional behavior towards our staff will NOT be tolerated. Inappropriate language or behavior will result in being discharged from our practice.

NARCAN

For patients on chronic opioid therapy, a standard of care is for these patients to be prescribed Narcan. This is an at-home opioid reversal agent which we prescribe as a rescue medication. In the interest of patient safety, please be aware if you are prescribed chronic opioid medication, that we routinely prescribe Narcan to be used for suspected opioid overdose emergencies at home.