Allergic Diseases, S.C. Steven H. Cohen, M.D.
Home Doctor First Visit Office Policies Financial Policies Medical Info Clinical Trials Contact Us FAQs Links	Office Policies Follow-up Visits Follow-up care and treatment may require routine visits to our office for allergy injections. In addition, periodic physician visits should be scheduled to document your progress, and, if necessary, adjust your treatment program. We like to see our patients when they are having symptoms as well as when they are feeling well. If you need to see the physician for acute symptoms, please call to make an appointment, and we will attempt to see you the same day. Appointment Times We will make every effort to see you within fifteen minutes of your scheduled appointment time. We understand that your time is as valuable as ours. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to stay on schedule if an emergency patient with acute bronchial asthma requires immediate attention. We ask for your understanding if this situation arises. If the wait will be considerable, we will make every effort to inform you, preferably in advance of your coming to the office, so that you can make any necessary alternate plans. Cancellations If it is necessary for you to cancel a scheduled appointment, please call the office as soon as possible. This courtesy allows us to offer that time to another patient. Allergy Injections in Our Office If you need an allergy injection, but do not need to see the physician, you may come to the office any time during our regular injection hours, without an appointment, and simply sign in at the front desk. Your injection will be prepared for you and administered within ten minutes. We request that you wait 20 minutes after the injection to be observed for any reaction that may occur, therefore, please arrive at least 20 minutes before our scheduled closing time. Prescriptions Many patients require prescription medications for short-term or maintenance therapy, and we are happy to approve refills called in to our office. In the interest of good medical care we require patients on maintenance therapy to be seen by the physician every three to six months. Telephone Calls The office staff has been trained to answer common medical questions. If a nurse cannot be of assistance, the question will be relayed to the physician. The physician will return your call at the earliest opportunity. Your questions are important. We cannot always diagnose or treat problems over the telephone, therefore, we will ask you to come into the office if necessary. Please use discretion when calling the physician at home. Emergency Medical Care All emergency calls will be handled immediately. We consider an emergency to be severe allergic reactions, acute shortness of breath or wheezing. The physician may be contacted for emergency treatment by first telephoning the office. If the physician is not available our answering machine will provide you with the emergency telephone number where he may be reached. If, for some reason, the doctor is unavailable at the emergency number please contact your primary care physician or an area emergency facility. Hospitalization Our physician is a member of the medical staff of a number of area hospitals. When necessary, severely ill patients are hospitalized to maximize their medical care and prevent serious complication of their disease. We are also available to area physicians for inpatient consultations. Fees and Payments We are concerned about the cost of health care. Our goal is to provide the best medical care for you at a reasonable cost. We feel that the fees we charge for services are usual and customary for this area. Your insurance company may base its allowance on a fixed fee schedule which may or may not coincide with our fees. You should be aware that different insurance plans vary greatly in the types of coverage available. We recommend that you read your policy or call your insurance company to be fully aware of any limitations on the benefits provided. Insurance We will automatically submit bills to your primary and secondary insurance for all services rendered if you provide us with complete insurance coverage information. You must provide us with accurate and current insurance company names, addresses to which claims are to be mailed, policyholder names, subscriber numbers and group numbers. It is your responsibility to keep us informed of any changes. If your insurance company requires the use of special claim forms you must provide us with these forms. Statements You will receive monthly statements if there is a balance due on your account. It is the responsibility of the patient or the responsible party (spouse/parent/legal guardian) to ensure that we are paid within 90 days from the date of service. Patients are expected to keep their accounts current while awaiting insurance company payment. Our office cannot accept responsibility for collecting from your insurance company or negotiating a settlement on a disputed claim. If you have any questions we will, of course, assist you. The insurance company and the terms of your insurance contract determine the level of insurance company payment. The patient or responsible party remains ultimately responsible for all charges for services rendered. Referrals If your insurance plan requires a written referral form for authorization of treatment it is your responsibility to obtain this form. If you request treatment and you do not have a valid referral, you will be responsible for the charges incurred, and we will ask you to sign an agreement to that effect. Medicare We accept assignment on Medicare insurance claims. Co-Payments, Co-Insurance & Deductibles We expect payment of the co-payment or co-insurance portion of the charge at the time services are rendered. Please be prepared to pay the charge in full if it will be applied to your yearly deductible by your insurance company.      11121 W. Oklahoma Avenue    West Allis, WI 53227    Tel: 414.545.1111