Practice Policies
We encourage all established patients to utilize the secure Patient Portal to communicate with our office in regards to appointments, billing questions and medical questions.
Appointments
Please call our office at 281-357-5678 during normal business hours to make an appointment.
All patients must complete the patient information forms prior to seeing the physician.
We require copies of your insurance card, photo ID, and a list of current medications. We require a 24-hour notice in the event that you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If you do not provide notice, a No-Show fee will be charged. You will be required to pay this fee prior to scheduling another appointment. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may be asked to reschedule.
If you have a medical emergency after hours, please dial 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.
Financial Policy
Payment in full is due at the time of service, including past due balances, from the person requesting services.
Our office verifies insurance coverage as a courtesy and will file the claim on behalf of the patient. However, the patient is ultimately responsible for paying any and all medical expenses incurred.
Patient Share estimates (copays, deductibles) are due in full at the time of service. The estimate provided is not a guarantee. The final patient share is determined once the insurance processes the claim.
The billing department is happy to assist with insurance questions. However, your insurance is a contract between you and your insurance provider. Please contact your insurance provider directly for specific coverage issues or claims processing questions.
We do not accept worker’s comp, automobile insurance, or LOPs from attorneys.
We accept cash, check, Visa and Mastercard. A $30 fee will be assessed for returned checks.
Patient Responsibility:
- Provide office with up-to-date insurance information at each visit.
- Provide office with referral from primary care physician prior to each visit, if required.
- Supply information to the insurance company as requested in a timely manner (i.e. coordination of benefits, pre-existing information).
Balances and Statements:
After receiving an Explanation of Benefits from your insurance in response to your claim, you will receive a statement the following month if any patient share remains.
Payment is expected upon receipt of the statement.
If you disagree with the processing of your claim, please contact your insurance company directly and then our billing department.
Accounts with balances > 90 days with no activity will be turned over to a collection agency and dismissed from the practice.
Outgoing Referrals and Test Orders
NWHN may refer patients to outside facilities for further evaluation or testing. Due to the complex nature of medical insurance contracts, we cannot know for sure if that facility is contracted with your particular insurance plan. It is the patient’s responsibility to contact the facility and/or insurance company to determine network status. If the facility is out-of-network, the patient may choose to go elsewhere. Contact your insurance company for a list of in-network facilities.
Some tests ordered by our physicians may require authorization from your insurance company. If this is the case, please contact us to let us know the date of the test and the facility and allow us 10 business days to obtain the authorization.
Prescriptions
We do not dispense written prescriptions in most cases. We will call-in directly or transmit electronically to the pharmacy of your choice. We can also review the patient’s outside medication history electronically.
Refills: Contact your pharmacy directly to request a medication refill. Please plan ahead and contact them days in advance. This method will result in the most timely and efficient processing. If the request is urgent, call the office or utilize the patient portal. Messages sent after 3 PM will not be returned until the next day. Requests for prescription refills are processed during office hours only. We do not refill medications prescribed by other physicians.
Controlled Substances: Controlled substances may require a special prescription form to be picked up from our office and signatures required. These prescriptions may require monthly visits. Contact our office 5 days in advance.
Forms or Letters
We reserve the right to decline completion of certain types of forms. We do not complete disability forms. If the physician agrees to complete a form, the form needs to be completed during an appointment. A fee will be charged for forms and/or medical letters.
Medical Records
For the release of medical records, please complete a Medical Release Form and provide it to our office. A fee may be assessed for the records transfer. If NWHN refers you to another physician, we can send that physician a copy of your last visit and pertinent records free of charge. Please allow 10 business days for transfer of all records.
Privacy Practices
Northwest Houston Neurology is committed to preserving the privacy of your health information. Review a Summary of Privacy Practices to understand the ways we may disclose your medical information and also to understand your rights concerning this information.