Office Policies
Many of your questions about our practice may be answered below. Please review our office policies by topics listed below.
- Office Hours
- Medication Refill Requests
- Managing Medications
- How to Handle Medical Problems
- Hospitalization
- Financial Considerations
- Patient Confidentiality
Office Hours
Our main office in Marietta is open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to see patients.
Our Paulding office is open only on Friday.
Our satellite location hours vary depending on the physician schedule.
Phone Hours
All calls are answered by our staff at our main office Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our answering service is available outside of these hours.
Holiday Closures
GKA observes the following holidays:
- New Years Day
- King Day
- Memorial Day
- July 4th
- Labor Day
- Thanksgivng
- Christmas
In addition, we have limited hours and phone coverage on Black Friday and Christmas Eve.
Medication Refill Requests
Refills should be initiated electronically through your pharmacy. Please contact your pharmacy for the refills.
Please plan ahead. Medications are only refilled during regular office hours. Routine medications will not be refilled at night or on the weekend. If you should run out during one of these times, you should ask your pharmacist to provide you with enough medication to last you until the office is open.
Please contact your physician's triage nurse for any questions regarding your prescriptions or treatment. These numbers can be found on our contact page.
Managing Medications
We deal with a variety of illnesses requiring treatments ranging from hospitalization to outpatient dialysis. We utilize a number of different medications; some of these medications have unavoidable side effects and many have potential interactions with other medications. It is important that we are aware of all the medication you are currently taking so that we can prevent adverse drug interactions.
Please keep us informed of any medication changes or additions that are made by your other physicians. We suggest that you keep an updated list of your medications and their dosages with you at all times. Please bring this list with you to every visit so that we are able to maintain an accurate record of your medications. If you are a new patient, please bring all your medications with you to your first appointment.
It is also important to notify us immediately of any side effects you feel you are experiencing or if you have any questions concerning a particular medication. It is best to contact us during office hours so that we will have access to your medical records. This will facilitate answering your questions.
How to Handle Medical Problems
During Office Hours
We encourage you to handle questions concerning your medications, medical condition or treatment regimens during regular office hours which are 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays. In general, we will be able to take care of your problems more effectively during these hours because we will have access to your complete medical record and our physicians are more available.
Holidays & Weekends
If questions arise on holidays or on weekends, we ask you to contact us in the morning between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. since we are usually in the hospital making rounds during these hours, and we can make any necessary arrangements to see you in the emergency room or obtain your records from the office.
After Hours Emergencies
We realize that emergencies may arise at times when the office is closed. Should an emergency arise, one of our physicians is available at all times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If an emergency arises, please contact us at 770-427-7389. Should this number not work properly, you may contact our answering service directly at 770-928-5315. You will be transferred to our answering service who will contact the physician on call.
Your call will be returned by the physician on call as quickly as possible. If you do not receive a return call in a timely manner, please re-contact our answering service. We ask that you call before going to the emergency room since some problems can be handled over the telephone.
If an emergency room visit is necessary, your visit can be expedited if we know in advance that you are going to the emergency room. On some occasions, you will be evaluated by the emergency room physicians who will treat the immediate issue. On other occasions, one of our physicians will directly treat your problem or admit you to the hospital if needed.
Hospitalized Patients
Should you be admitted to the hospital for diagnostic testing or medical treatment, every effort will be made to minimize your hospital stay. While hospitalized, you will be visited by one of our physicians each day; however, it may not be the same physician you see in the office. In general, we start "rounds" in the critical care areas and then proceed to the other areas in the hospital.
We realize that hospitalization is a time of great stress and anxiety for both the patient and his/her family. If family members have questions, we ask that your family be present when you are seen by the physician on rounds. If this is not possible, please designate one person as the point of contact for the entire family.
While hospitalized, we may ask that other physicians from other specialties assist in your care. We will be happy to use the consulting physician of your choice whenever possible.
Financial Considerations
We realize that medical care is expensive and can represent a considerable financial hardship for you. Our fees are based on the time spent with the patient, the time spent reviewing records and consulting with other physicians, the severity of the problem, and the expertise required for specialty evaluation.
We do accept Medicare Assignment. By accepting assignment, we agree to accept as payment the fee that Medicare allows for our services. Medicare will then pay 80% of that allowable fee directly to us. You are responsible for the remaining 20% of that fee and will need to make arrangements to pay this remaining amount. Additionally, Medicare has a deductible which must be met prior to beginning payments for your medical costs. You are responsible for the entire deductible amount. If hospitalized, you will receive a separate bill from the hospital for their charges.
We will be happy to file insurance forms. In order to file your insurance, you must provide us with current ID, GROUP NUMBERS, and mailing address for your insurance plan. If your insurance company requires pre-certification prior to non-emergent admission, it is your responsibility to provide that information to our office. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to assure that your insurance claims are submitted properly and payment is received.
If third party payments do not cover the entire hospital bill, or if you are without insurance, it is your responsibility to make arrangements to pay for your hospital charges. We will be happy to work with you to arrange payments so that the financial burden is minimized.
Payment for outpatient services is expected at the time the services are rendered. PPO/HMO and other managed care patients are responsible for their co-payment at the time of service. These patients will also receive a copy of our Managed Care Policy.
We are participating physicians with Medicare, therefore these patients are only required to pay their deductible and 20% of the approved Medicare charges. You will be advised of the approved amount at the time services are rendered.
Those patients who do not have insurance coverage or who are not participants in a managed care plan are expected to pay in full at the time of service. We will be happy to file your insurance for you if valid current insurance information is provided. If you have any questions or problems with your bill, our staff is available during office hours.
Confidentiality
Your medical records are held in strict confidence. Your case will not be discussed with anyone without your permission. Additionally, your records will not be released to anyone without your permission.
We realize that an illness can be very difficult for both the patient and the family of the patient. It is our goal to establish a warm, professional relationship with our patients. We encourage you to contact our office should you need assistance.