Southern Maine Wellness Works, LLC OFFICE POLICIES
Thank you for choosing Southern Maine Wellness Works (SMWW). Thank you for deciding on taking a step towards better health. Our staff strives to provide quality health care. In order to do so, we have implemented an appointment/cancellation policy. Feel free to contact our office should you have questions regarding our policies.
OFFICE HOURS Our office hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 8:00am to 5:00 pm, and Fridays from 8:00 to 12:00 noon for in-office appointments, and 1:00 to 3:30 pm for Telehealth visits. Be aware that there will be no one to answer the office phone after 12:00 noon on Fridays as our providers will be with scheduled Telehealth appointments. If you need an appointment, prescription refill, or test results, please call during regular business hours. You may use the emergency telephone noted in our voice message (for emergency matters only).
APPOINTMENTS SMWW is committed to providing quality care to our patients. To ensure timely continued care, we encourage patients to schedule appointments in advance of their follow-up due dates. When calling for an appointment, please provide your name, telephone number, chief complaint/reason for visit, and any updated contact or insurance information. While we strive to schedule appointments appropriately, emergencies do occur in Primary Care. For this reason, we kindly request your patience and understanding should a delay or rescheduling become necessary on your appointment date. To ensure quality care, SMWW providers do not treat patients we have not seen. Prescriptions will not be called in or medical advice offered for patients prior to their initial visit. Follow-up appointments may be scheduled after lab testing and/or medical imaging testing has been completed so that results can be reviewed together, and an appropriate healthcare plan can be determined.
CANCELLATION OF AN APPOINTMENT In order to be respectful of the medical needs of our patients, please be courteous and call SMWW promptly if you are unable to attend your appointment. This time will then be allocated to those on our waiting list in need of a prompt visit. If it is necessary to cancel your scheduled appointment, we required that you call at least one (1) working day in advance. Appointments are in high-demand, and your early cancellation will provide another person the ability to have access to healthcare in a timely manner.
NO-SHOW POLICY Failure to present for your scheduled appointment will be recorded in your medical record as a “no-show.” An administrative fee of $40.00 will be billed to your account and a bill will be mailed to you. Three “no-shows” in a calendar year will result in a temporary suspension of services. “No-show” charges are a patient’s responsibility as health insurance companies will not pay this fee.
INSURANCE SMWW accepts most health insurance plans. If you have specific questions regarding your insurance, please contact our office during normal business hours. It is the patient’s responsibility to inform our staff of any changes in insurance coverage. Failure to do so could cause delay or denial of insurance payment. Patients are responsible for co-pays at the time of service. If applicable, you will be billed for services not covered by your insurance (as stated in your insurance contract) by our billing department.
PAYMENTS SMWW accepts cash, personal checks, credit cards, and debit cards. Checks can be made out to SMWW. It is the policy of SMWW to make all reasonable attempts to collect outstanding balances should they accrue, including convenient payment arrangements. Following these attempts, accounts in poor standing will be outsourced to third party collection agencies. FORMS/LETTERS We understand that there are times when forms or letters may be required to assist you with your healthcare needs. The staff at SMWW will be happy to complete them as necessary upon your request. However, because this can be time-consuming, please allow 7 to 10 days for completion of the requested forms or letters. PRESCRIPTION REFILLS & PHARMACY INFORMATION Please provide SMWW information on preferred pharmacy and update us should this change. Allow 2 to 3 business days for refill requests. Also, please bring to your appointment all prescription medication and supplements taken. Our practice does not routinely order narcotic pain medicine. Therefore, you may be required to obtain these medications through pain management. MEDICAL RECORDS Per HIPAA guidelines, copies of medical records must be requested in writing. To ensure your privacy, a form for release of medical information must be completed prior to receipt of these materials. All patients can request a copy of their medical records one time, free of charge. Additional copies may be requested at a cost of $0.50 per page.
