Patient Policies

Copayments represent the portion of our services that patients must pay out of pocket. Such payments are required by the patient’s agreement with the insurance payer, and our contracts with insurance payers require us to collect them.

Effective July 1st, 2022, the DAC requires payment of your co-pay in full at the time of services. You will also be required to show your current insurance card. Without these two things your appointment will be rescheduled.

In an effort to serve our patients and the community well, we must utilize our time efficiently. When a patient makes an appointment, time is set aside for their needs, and work is performed to prepare their record for the visit. When a scheduled visit is not completed, there is a loss for another patient who could have used that available time, as well as wasted staff time. Therefore, we ask that when a scheduled visit cannot be met, it be cancelled at least forty-eight hours prior to the time of the appointment. For late cancellations or not showing for a scheduled appointment, a $50 fee will be charged for established patients. For new patients, a $100 fee will be charged.

All doctors at the DAC are fully qualified in the practice of rheumatology. If you have a preference for a particular physician at the DAC, you must tell us when scheduling the first visit. Every reasonable attempt will be made to accommodate your preference. In order to maintain continuity of care and avoid “opinion shopping” within the practice, subsequent requests for switching doctors must be approved by the physicians involved, and in general will be denied. An exception to this policy often occurs if the patient has moved to a new geographical area making such a switch most reasonable for all concerned.

At the DAC, we chose to live and work in a culture of service supported by an atmosphere of mutual respect, human dignity, patience, and civility. The expression of these values is expected consistently from everyone including staff, physicians, patients and their families. Failures by our staff to follow this policy will result in corrective action and potential discharge from employment. Abusive or demeaning behavior towards our staff or physicians by patients or family may result in our withdrawal from the patient’s medical care.

It may be appropriate at times for our physicians to prescribe narcotic pain relievers or other “scheduled” drugs in the management of acute or chronic symptoms. The authority to prescribe such medicines is a privilege granted by agencies including the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) that regulate their use, and scrutinize prescribing practices. Accordingly, to promote proper utilization of controlled substances, the DAC physicians will often require patients to execute a “Pain Agreement” acknowledging the patient’s responsibilities for the use, handling, and protection of such medicines. Violation of the agreement may result in interruption or discontinuation of such medications and possible withdrawal from medical care.