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Office Policies

Our goal is to provide your child with the highest quality of care. Appointments may be made via phone or in person during normal business hours. Because we know your time is valuable, we make every effort to stay on schedule.

First time patients are asked to come to the office at least 15 minutes prior to their appointment to complete new patient information, or you may download these forms. Please bring your current insurance card and photo ID. Non-parent guardians should also bring a current power of attorney. We will make copies of these documents for our records.

Cancellations

The number of patients at Cumberland Pediatrics is continuing to grow. Due to the continued growth we ask that you be considerate of our busy schedule and give a 24-hour notice of cancellation of your physical appointment. Failure to do so prevents us from providing an appointment that could have been used for another patient and you will be charged a $50 fee. Appointments cancelled before the 24-hour period will not be charged a fee. This fee is not paid by your insurance.

Telephone Calls

As of 6/15/2011, when you call our office with a non-urgent problem you will have the option of requesting an appointment, speaking with a nurse, or receiving telephone care from one of our providers. There will be a charge for the telephone call if you speak with a provider and if the call does not result in an office visit for the same medical problem in the next 24 hours OR is unrelated to an office visit from the previous 7 days. The telephone care fee will be less than an office visit depending on the complexity of the problem. These fees may or may not be covered by your insurance.

Phone Calls and After Office Hours

If you need medical advice after the office has closed, please call the main office number for assistance. Between the hours of 5pm and 7am, seven days a week, your call will be directed to the CHOA Advice Line. A trained pediatric nurse will be able to assist you with your concerns. There will always be a physician on-call, if needed. If you have a minor emergency, but feel your child should be seen prior to office hours, proceed to your nearest Pediatric Urgent Care Center.

Emergencies

If you have a life threatening emergency, please proceed to your nearest hospital or call 911.

Hospitalization

If your child requires hospitalization, our practice utilizes a skilled team of pediatric physicians at Scottish Rite, Egleston and Hughes Spalding Hospitals. They will maintain daily contact with our staff. Once your child is discharged, he/she will return to our office for follow-up and continued care.

Prescriptions

Please call during office hours for refills and have your pharmacy telephone number available. We do not call in refills after the office has closed.

Fees and Payment

We accept all major insurance plans and accept MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Discover. Payment is expected at the time of your visit. There is a $10 charge if we have to bill your co-pay.

At the end of the examination, you will receive an itemized charge slip for your records upon request. We will file your insurance for you. If you have any questions concerning charges from this office, please feel free to discuss them with our Insurance/Billing office at 770-951-5400. Filing your insurance is a service we provide, but it is still your responsibility to see that your insurance company pays in a timely manner.

Transfering Records

If you know where your new doctor's office will be, you can fill out the form below so that we can fax them your child's medical records. If you are unsure of where you'll be going, we suggest you wait until you go to the new doctor's office and fill out a release of medical records form at their office. They will forward the release to us, and then we will send them your records. There is a $15 charge for this service.

Please let us know if there are any other questions not answered. Everyone in this office has been trained as a professional and as a team member. We take pride in our capability to care for your children. We look forward to a mutually satisfactory relationship.