Appointments
All appointments must be made in advance. To schedule or re-schedule an appointment, please call the main office at (678) 420-4100 during regular office. When you make an appointment, please explain the reason for the visit so that adequate time may be scheduled at the location you prefer. Also, please inform us if your situation is urgent.
At times, unanticipated surgical delays may interfere with scheduled office hours. We know that your time is valuable and will attempt to inform you prior to your arrival if we are aware of a delay. We hope you understand that these delays are unavoidable, and we will strive to accommodate your schedule as best as we can.
SEGU employs highly skilled nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants who collaborate with our physicians to care for our patients. Sometimes, a mid-level practitioner will see you for your appointment.
Telephone Calls
Between visits, you may wish to call regarding special questions or concerns. Whenever possible, please call during office hours. We prefer, also, that the patients call themselves. Relatives or friends are seldom able to give the information required to evaluate the situation properly.
Please consult your SEGU Clinical Care Team and direct your specific questions to the appropriate person. Urgent patient calls go to the team nurse or nurse practitioner. Less urgent calls should be directed to a medical assistant. Members of our office staff are trained to answer many of your questions. If you should call with a question they cannot answer, they will consult with your physician and relay his/her answer as soon as possible.
Emergencies
If a life-threatening emergency occurs, go immediately to a hospital emergency room and ask them to contact your physician. You may call the office at (678) 420-4100 anytime if you have an emergency. The answering service will contact the physician or on-call nurse for you.
Fees and Payments
We make every effort to contain the cost of our medical care. You can help by paying upon completion of each office visit. Surgery requires payment before services are rendered, if a deductible, out-of-pocket, or coinsurance applies. The Patient Financial Counselor will contact you to discuss your benefits for services that require an up front payment.
Prescriptions
All prescriptions and refills should be requested during normal office hours. Please contact (or have your pharmacy contact) the team medical assistant with the name, dosage of the medication and your pharmacy phone number. It is SEGU policy not to call in pain medications after normal business hours. If you have an unexpected reaction to any medication, discontinue it immediately and notify your physician’s team. Do not drive while taking pain medications.
Office Visits
Patient visits are scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m on Mondays at our Northside location and on Wednesdays and Thursdays at our Kennestone location. New patients are seen in consultation regarding their medical concerns. Our physicians then determine the need for diagnostic tests, therapeutic treatment, or possible surgical procedures.
Some minor procedures are done in the office while others may be scheduled as either hospital outpatient or inpatient surgeries. You will be informed of these options so you may decide, along with the physician, which is most appropriate and desirable.
All patients will be advised of lab, pap, and radiology results in a timely fashion. If you require surgery, our staff will handle your pre-admission testing and insurance pre-certification. It is your responsibility to inform us of any insurance requirements, such as a second surgical opinion. Failure to do so may result in the loss of your insurance benefits but it will not relieve your responsibility for the full costs.
Insurance Affiliates
The practice participates in several HMO/PPO plans. As a participant in these plans, we will file the claims for you and accept appropriate payment according to contracted agreement. You will be asked to pay your co-pay at the time of service. Also, many HMO plans require a referral from your primary care physician, and it is your responsibility to obtain this prior to your visit. Please call our office to determine if we participate in your HMO/PPO plan.
A Note About Insurance Paperwork and Medical Records: Due to the volume and amount of time required to complete these requests, please allow up to 2 weeks for completion of any insurance and disability forms. All initial forms are subject to a $15 charge and any further forms are $10 thereafter. All forms should be given to the team nurse. For medical records requests, please call (678) 420-4171.
Medicare
As a Medicare participant, we accept assignment of benefits from Medicare. This means we will file these claims for you and accept payment from Medicare. By federal law you are responsible for the unpaid deductible, as well as the 20% balance of the Medicare allowable.
