Cancellations:

Please call our office within 24 hours to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If you are going to be late for your appointed time, notify the office as soon as possible. If a patient arrives more than 15 minutes late for their appointed time, the appointment may need to be rescheduled. This will allow us to service patients at their allotted appointment time and also give you the quality time for your appointment.

Financial Policy:

We file Medicare, Medicaid, and all PPO/HMO insurance claims with which we are conctracted. The patient/guarantor is responsible for payment of any copay, co-insurance, deductible, or service(s) not covered by their insurance company. Most HMO policies require a referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP). Obtaining referrals is the patient's responsibility and must be received in our office prior to your exam.

Vision Policies:

We do not file vision plans. We are medical doctors and file claims with your medical insurance only. Some insurance plans cover routine eye exams with any ophthalmologist listed on their plan. It is the patient's responsibility to know the coverage and terms of their policy. Contact your customer service number on your insurance card to verify their policy on this service.

MEDICARE:

As a participating provider, we will bill your Medicare carrier. You are responsible for a 20% co-payment at the time of your visit with the doctor and your annual deductible if it has not been met.

SECONDARY INSURERS:

Having more than one insurance DOES NOT necessarily mean that your services are covered at 100%. We may bill your secondary carrier as a courtesy if you are a Medicare patient. You are responsible for any balances that may be outstanding once both insurances have cleared.

NON-COVERED SERVICES:

Any services performed that are considered a non-covered service by your insurance is the responsibility of the patient.

Refraction is the method of determining your eye glasses prescription. While a refraction is a standard part of eye care, Medicare and many insurances have decided they will not cover this service. A refraction is not performed on every visit, but on a case by case basis when it is in the best interest of the patient as determined by the physician.

Some of the most common insurance plans we provide for:

Medicare, Medicaid, United Health Care, Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO Plans, Aetna, Cigna, PHCS Plans, Humana Choice Care and PPO Plans. Please consult your insurance directory to verify providers on your plan. This is not the responsibility of our office.

Contact Lenses

We can update your contact lens prescription if you are a current contact lens wearer. We DO NOT fit for contact lenses. Contact lens parameters can be obtained from contact lens boxes or exam records. These measurements are required before a contact lens prescription can be issued. If you have not worn contacts before or need a new fitting we can refer you to several optometric facilities located throughout Austin.

Privacy Notice

The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 ( HIPPA) is a federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally, are kept properly confidential. This Act gives you, the patient, significant rights to understand and control how your health information is used.

We may use and disclose your medical records only for treatment, payment and health care operations. We may also create and distribute de-identified health information by removing all references to individually identifiable information. We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment or other health related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with a written authorization. You may revoke such authorization at any timein writing and we are required to honor and abide by that written request, except to the extent that we have already taken actions relying on your authorization.

You have recourse if you feel that your privacy protections have been violated. You have the right to file written complaint with our office, or with the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Civil Rights, about violations of the provisions of this notice or the policies and procedures of our office. We will not retaliate against you for filing such complaint.

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