Office Policies and Forms

Office Hours and Appointments

The Practice is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm in our Glens Falls office and 8:30 am to 5:00 pm in our Saratoga Springs office.

Women’s Care in Ob/Gyn PC complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Our Practice does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. We every attempt to facilitate effective communication between patients and our providers and staff. More information can be found here.

Please bring your insurance card to all of your visits, and always let us know if there have been any changes in insurance, your address, phone number or employer since your last visit. At your first visit and each year thereafter, you will be asked to complete a new patient registration from and a health history form as part of this paperwork. It is important that your doctor has your updated health history since medical conditions can require alterations in the approach to treatment.

We make every effort to stay on schedule. However our providers are strongly committed to giving each patient the individualized attention they require. This doesn’t always fit neatly into the allotted time and sometimes delays are unpreventable. If you feel your wait is excessive, please check with our receptionist staff who will give you a timeframe for being seen. We appreciate your patience during those times,

Should you find it necessary to cancel your appointment please give us at least 24 hours notice so that we can offer this time to another patient. Failure to contact our office if you do not intend on keeping your scheduled appointment, may result in a $40.00 No Show Charge.

Appointments may be scheduled by calling the Glens Falls office at 518-793-4477 or the Saratoga office by calling 518-583-0020.
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Confidentiality

Your information is strictly confidential and will be guarded closely by our staff as private. Our Privacy Notice outlines our commitment to maintaining your confidentiality. Federal regulations prohibit us from sharing confidential information with your family, unless you give us permission. Therefore, if you wish to have that information shared with a family member, please make sure that information is included on an updated HIPAA form. This form will serve to advise our staff on how you would like to be contacted regarding appointments and test results.
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Forms

While we utilize an electronic medical record, the most secure and efficient method to gather and update information for that record is through the use of manual forms. We have made these available for your convenience and to help minimize the waiting time at your scheduled appointment. Many of these forms need to be filled out prior to your visit, please insure adequate time.

New Patient Registration Forms

Patient Information Form
Office Policy
Notice of Privacy Practices
Family History Cancer Questionnaire

Annual GYN Visit Forms

Patient Information Form
Medical History Update (Postmenopausal or Premenopausal)
Family History Cancer Questionnaire

First OB Prenatal Forms (all in one)

Patient Information Form
Notice of Privacy Practices
Patient Questionnaire
Prenatal Genetic Questionnaire

Medical Records Related

Medical Records Release Forms (pre-filled with Women’s Care Info)
HIPAA Authorization and Change Form
- HIPAA Form
- Notice of Privacy Practices

Prescriptions and Refills

We have several options for refilling routine prescriptions including calling our office prescription line or using our on-line patient portal. Please note our providers only review these requests during regular office hours and often involve consultation of the patient medical record, therefore we require 24-48 hours to process renewal requests. When requesting a refill please have the following information available: name, date of birth, the name and dosage of the medication, the prescription number and the pharmacy name and phone number. We encourage patients to call their pharmacy to confirm that the prescription has been filled before going to pick it up.

Modern medications can have side effects and interactions which must be monitored and integrated with a comprehensive health plan. Therefore when patients are overdue for care, we will limit prescription renewals to 30 days in order to protect our patients, unless there are extenuating circumstances. We recommend that you make an appointment to be seen at the same time you request the refill.
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Medical Records and Test Results

We encourage all patients to use our secure medical records portal to view their medical record. This is also the fastest way to view test results, as they are uploaded automatically. If you are unfamiliar with the portal or have questions regarding access, please call our front office staff.

If you choose not to use the portal, you will be notified as outlined below.

Mammograms: Normal results for mammograms will be mailed within 2 weeks of the tests. If the result is abnormal, you will be contacted by phone to arrange follow-up testing.

Pap Smears: Normal results for pap smears will be mailed within 30 days of the test. If the result is abnormal, you will be contacted by phone to arrange follow-up testing.

Other Lab Tests: The turn-around time for other lab tests depends on the specific test. Your provider or a nurse will contact you with the results of these tests. Typically, we require one week to receive the results and have them reviewed by your provider. Please do not call the office for non-emergency test results unless it has been one week or more since you had the test. Generally speaking, you will not be contacted to review Sexually Transmitted Disease testing unless there is an abnormal result.

Patents are required to sign a Medical record authorization whenever you ask for a copy of your medical records, regardless of whether it is for personal use or for the use of another party. Please be as specific as possible when requesting information, as your chart may contain many items including:

History and physical
X-ray and lab reports
OB records
Progress notes
Operative report
Hospital notes
Discharge summary
Diagnostic test results (blood tests, scans, etc.)
Biopsy reports

Insurance

Women’s Care participates with most major insurance carriers. However, there are a number of smaller plans and networks with which we do not participate. If you are a new patient, or have recently changed insurance plans, please check with your insurance company prior to your visit to make sure that the office participates with your plan, and to determine whether a referral is needed for your visit.

In order for your claims to be processed accurately in a timely fashion, we request that you bring your insurance ID cards at each visit and advise our front reception staff of any change in your information.

As a courtesy to our patients who require surgery, we will file insurance claims with insurance plans with which we do not participate. Please remember, any amount not covered by insurance is ultimately your responsibility. For patients with these plans, we do expect that all deductibles, co-insurance and co-pays are paid prior to your surgery.

If you are an obstetrical or surgical patient and you do not have insurance, or if you have a private insurance plan with a large deductible, we do require a deposit prior to providing care.
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Patient Responsibility

The current Insurance market place can be confusing with its terminology. After your bill is submitted, your insurance provider will review it and generate an Explanation of Benefits (EOB), which will describe the payments made on your behalf and those which are the patient’s responsibility. There are three areas of a health insurance policy which may leave a Patient with the financial responsibility for payment. These include Deductibles, Co-payments, and Co-insurance. We have provided definitions of these different terms below to help clarify your EOB and any statements you may receive from us.

Deductible: The amount you owe for covered health care services before your health insurance or plan begins to pay. For example, if your deductible is $1,000, your plan won’t pay anything until you’ve paid your $1,000 deductible for covered health care services subject to the deductible. The deductible may not apply to all services.
Copayment: A fixed amount (for example, $25) you pay for a covered health care service, typically payable when you get the service. The amount of the copayment can vary by the type of covered health care service.
Coinsurance: Your share of the costs of a covered health care service, calculated as a percent (for example, 20%) of the allowed amount for the service. You pay coinsurance plus any deductibles you owe. For example, if the health insurance or plan’s allowed amount for an office visit is $100 and you’ve met your deductible, your coinsurance payment of 20% would be $20. The health insurance or plan pays the rest of the allowed amount.

Statements and Payments

Co-payments are required to me made at the time of service. In addition, you will receive a monthly statement listing charges for services received, pending insurance claims, and any payments made in the last 30 days. Your financial responsibility will be listed in the patient balance column and payment in full is required by the date due. Payment may be made by cash, check, Mastercard or Visa, or Paypal. In addition secure payment can be made through our patient portal.

If you have a question regarding insurance, billing or our fees, or if you have received a statement which you may be unable to pay due to financial hardship, please call our business office at 518-793-4477 option 4.