Dr. Gary S. Ruoff D.O.   201 S. Garfield Ave, Traverse City, MI 49686   Ph. 231-935-0580   Fax 231-935-0584

GARY S. RUOFF, D.O.

 FAMILY PRACTICE AND OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATION  231.935.0580

OFFICE POLICIES
We look forward to working with you. Please take time to review our office policies.

CO-PAYS AND DEDUCTIBLES
You are required by your insurance company to pay co-pays at the time of service. If your co-pay is unknown, you will be charged $30.00 at the time of the visit to apply towards your co-pay. You are required by your insurance company to pay the amount of the service that is applied to the deductible of your insurance policy.

PAST DUE ACCOUNTS
Cash, credit card, debit cards and checks are accepted. Unpaid accounts greater than 90 days old could result in dismissal from
the practice. Please call to talk to our billing specialist if there are any extenuating circumstances preventing payment. Insurance: We will submit charges to your insurance plan. If Dr. Ruoff does not participate with your insurance plan, you will be responsible for any remaining balance after your insurance has paid. You are responsible for understanding your insurance policy and providing us with the most current insurance card to assure proper billing. Auto accident visits require you to contact the insurance company and provide us with claim number, billing name and address, claims adjuster name and phone number, or you will be responsible for full payment at the time of visit.

BILLS FROM OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
You will receive bills and statements from other healthcare providers: hospitals, labs, pathologists, radiologists, etc. for services requested through the office. Please contact them directly for questions regarding their billing and services.

PRESCRIPTION REFILLS
The best time to request a refill of your medication is at the office visit. It is your responsibility to monitor if you are running low on medications. Twenty four to forty eight hours are required to process refills requested by phone or through the patient portal. Refills are processed during regular office hours. Prior authorizations required by your insurance company for medications can take 7 business days because of the high volume of requests for them to review. A visit may be required for a refill of medications to re-evaluate the medical condition. 

CONTROLLED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
Patients will be required to sign a contract and abide by the agreement. Random testing of urine may be performed to verify compliance. Referral to a pain specialist may be requested. Reports may be requested from the state pharmacy database to verify medications are being utilized as directed. Refills will not be given outside of regular office hours. The on call physicians will not refill these medications.

MISSED APPOINTMENTS
We ask 24 hours notice if you must cancel your appointment. Three no-show appointments will result in dismissal from the practice. Lateness: If you are more than 10 minutes late to your appointment you may be asked to reschedule so other patients are not inconvenienced.

HIPAA
A HIPAA authorization must be signed at the first visit and periodically there-after. This protects your privacy, allows us to bill for the services provided through your insurance company, and allows us to talk to other healthcare providers involved in your care