Frequently Asked Questions
A dermatologist is a physician who specializes in the treatment of skin conditions and diseases. Dermatologists are certified by the American Board of Dermatology after extensive education and medical residency. They treat everything from minor skin rashes, like hives, to chronic skin diseases, such as eczema or psoriasis. Dermatologists are good diagnosticians and can distinguish between conditions that share similar symptoms. Today many dermatologists are also well versed in cosmetic dermatology procedures to help improve the appearance of skin as we age.
If you are an emergency case requiring immediate attention, please call 911 or visit your nearest Emergency Room.
When you arrive at either office, the staff will greet you and you may be seated in the waiting room. We will examine you as quick as possible – average waiting time is 15 minutes.
If you are a new patient we will ask you to fill out the following forms:
New patient enrollment form, Medical history, and 24 Cancellation Policy. We ask that you bring a copy of your insurance cards, a photo ID, and a list of any medications you are currently taking. We request that you refrain from wearing any scented products such as perfumes or cologne to your appointment.
Please be sure to bring your current insurance cards with you to each visit. If your insurance requires a referral please make sure to obtain one from your primary care physician before your scheduled appointment.
You can check your insurance coverage by calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card to check participation status with Drs. Brown & Herring.
You will be asked on the day of your appointment to pay for any services not covered by your insurance. Expenses not covered include deductible, co-insurance, copay amounts, office visits and cosmetic procedures.
We accept personal checks, cash, Visa or MasterCard
We are dedicated to providing the best possible care for you, and we want you to completely understand our financial policies.
1. Payment is due at the time of service unless arrangements have been made in advance by your carrier. We accept Visa and MasterCard.
2. Keep in mind that your insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company. As a service to you, we will file your insurance claim if you assign the benefits to the doctor. If you agree, your insurance company will pay the doctor directly. If your insurance company does not pay the practice within a reasonable period, we will have to look to you for payment. If we later receive a check from your insurer, we will refund any overpayment to you.
3. We have made prior arrangements with many insurance companies and other health plans to accept an assignment of benefits. We will bill them, but you maybe required to pay a co-payment at the time of your visit.
4. It is your responsibility to bring any required referrals for treatment at, or prior to, the time of your visit. If you do not have a referral, your visit will be rescheduled, or you may sign a waiver accepting financial responsibility.
5. Not all insurance plans cover all services. In the event your insurance plan determines a service to be “not covered,” you will be responsible for the complete charge. Payment is due upon receipt of a statement from our office.
6. All cosmetic procedures must be paid for at the time of service. 7. All returned checks will have an additional fee added of $30.00.
8. We require all previous account balances to be paid in full unless other prior arrangements have been made within the billing office.
9. *Since cosmetic procedures are not covered by my insurance plan, I agree to be responsible for payment in full of the procedure(s) to be performed, at the time of service. Any pre-payments or payments made for cosmetic procedures are non-refundable and non-transferable. Multiple treatments may be needed to achieve the desired results.*
Our business office is always happy to assist your needs. Please contact them at (301) 777-5306. Business office hours are Monday- Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
24 Hour Cancellation Policy
Western Maryland Dermatology recognizes a 24 hour cancellation policy. If you are unable to keep an appointment, we ask that you cancel at least 24 hours in advance.
Missed Appointments (No Show)
We understand that emergency situations can occur for a variety of reasons and you may miss an appointment. When you miss an appointment without canceling, someone else who could have been seen in your place is delayed unnecessarily.
A “no show” is defined as:
You do not show up for your scheduled appointment time.
You do not call to cancel the appointment by 4:00PM the day prior to your appointment.
You may call our office Monday thru Friday at 301-777-7900 and the receptionist will be glad to assist you in rescheduling/canceling your appointment. This should be done before 4 PM the day prior to your scheduled appointment or you will be considered a “No Show”.
If you are counted as a “No Show”, you will receive a phone call reminding you of the missed appointment.
Western Maryland Dermatology reserves the right not to schedule any future appointments for any new patients who fail to no show on their first scheduled appointment.
Having two (2) “No Shows”, will result in a $75.00 fee being assessed to your account and it may result in dismissal from the practice. An additional $75.00 fee will be added for each additional no show after the 2nd. All fee balances must be paid in advance of next appointment or you will be asked to reschedule. Payment plans will not be granted for no show fees.
Notice of Privacy Practices Effective Date: April 14, 2003
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your right to access and control your protected health information. “Protected health information” is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services.
We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. We may change the terms of our notice at any time. The new notice would be effective for all protected health information that we maintain at that time. Upon your request, we would provide you with any revised Notice of Privacy Practices by calling the office and requesting that a revised copy be sent to you in the mail or asking for one at the time of your next visit.
USES & DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by your physician, our office staff, and other outside of our office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing health care services to you. Your protected health information may also be used and disclosed to pay your health care bills and to support the operation of the physician’s practice. The following are examples of the types of uses and disclosures of your protected health care information that the physician’s office is permitted to make.
A) Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health information for diagnostic purposes, laboratory tests, and prescriptions. We will use and disclose your protected health information when we coordinate with other physicians who have referred you to our practice to ensure that they have the necessary information to provide comprehensive treatment and management of your health care.
B) Payment: Your protected health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your health care services.
C) Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information in order to support the business activities of this practice. These might include quality care evaluations, utilization review or training of medical students, licensing, and conducting normal business activities, including the following:
1. Calling you to remind you of an appointment.
2. Calling you by name in the waiting room when the physician is ready to see you.
3. Contacting you by mail to remind you of an appointment.
4. Providing you with treatment alternatives or health related benefits that may interest you.
5. Complying with a subpoena for the records or if we need to disclose the records for the reason of protecting public health
We will keep all disclosure of your medical records to the minimum necessary.
Unless you object, we may disclose your protect health information to a member of your family, a relative, or to any other person that you identify. We may disclose your protected health information to an authorized public or private entity to assist or to coordinate your care.
Your Rights:
You have the right to inspect and copy your health information. If you feel that the health information that we have about you in incomplete or inaccurate, you have the right to request an amendment to your medical records. The request must be made in writing with the reason that supports your request. If we do not agree with your statement, you have the right to ask that your statement be placed in your medical record. You have the right to find out how your health information is used and whom it is disclosed. You may request an accounting of your medical record disclosures made by us except for disclosures made for treatment, payment and health care operation. You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice. You may be asked to sign a specific authorization for the release of medical records for disclosure of your protected health information.
Complaints:
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information. You may complain to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or you may complain to us if you believe that your privacy rights have been violated. Our privacy officer Beth Davis, can be contacted at (301)777-7900 for more information about this process. Any changes or revisions to this act will be posed in the office and will be available to you by request.
