Appointments
Due to frequent changes in health insurance coverage, please be prepared to show us your insurance card upon arrival for each visit.
We ask that all new patients arrive at least thirty minutes in advance to complete the new patient process of making a chart, verifying insurance, etc. Please bring all relevant paperwork from your child's previous pediatrician, including immunization records and laboratory test results. Should you have a change in your insurance coverage, you should arrive fifteen minutes early, as we must verify your new benefits.
Because well visits take more time in our schedule than sick visits, they must be scheduled separately. We also ask that no more than two siblings be scheduled consecutively for well check-ups, as our appointment schedule will not allow for more.
We encourage a parent or legal guardian to be present at the time of each child's visit. Patients who arrive alone will not be seen unless it is an emergency. A caretaker, an adult eighteen or older, must present the required written parental/guardian permission for the patient to be seen by one of our providers with the exception of emergency visits.
Due to frequent changes in health insurance coverage, please be prepared to show us your insurance card upon arrival for each visit.
We ask that all new patients arrive at least thirty minutes in advance to complete the new patient process of making a chart, verifying insurance, etc. Please bring all relevant paperwork from your child's previous pediatrician, including immunization records and laboratory test results. Should you have a change in your insurance coverage, you should arrive fifteen minutes early, as we must verify your new benefits.
Because well visits take more time in our schedule than sick visits, they must be scheduled separately. We also ask that no more than two siblings be scheduled consecutively for well check-ups, as our appointment schedule will not allow for more.
We encourage a parent or legal guardian to be present at the time of each child's visit. Patients who arrive alone will not be seen unless it is an emergency. A caretaker, an adult eighteen or older, must present the required written parental/guardian permission for the patient to be seen by one of our providers with the exception of emergency visits.
Walk-in Appointments
Cobb Pediatric Associates sees patients by appointment. We make every effort to keep your waiting time to a minimum, therefore please call before arriving for an appointment.
Walk-in patients will be asked to wait for the next available provider appointment. Siblings of patients with scheduled appointments will be considered as walk-ins. Medical emergencies will be worked in immediately.
Cobb Pediatric Associates sees patients by appointment. We make every effort to keep your waiting time to a minimum, therefore please call before arriving for an appointment.
Walk-in patients will be asked to wait for the next available provider appointment. Siblings of patients with scheduled appointments will be considered as walk-ins. Medical emergencies will be worked in immediately.
Late Policy
Because we are trying to ensure your waiting time is kept to a minimum, it may be difficult to see late patients. When a patient arrives late for an appointment it makes subsequent patients wait longer.
If you are more than 15 minutes late for your child's appointment, you may be offered the next available provider appointment or possibly be asked to reschedule non-urgent visits.
Because we are trying to ensure your waiting time is kept to a minimum, it may be difficult to see late patients. When a patient arrives late for an appointment it makes subsequent patients wait longer.
If you are more than 15 minutes late for your child's appointment, you may be offered the next available provider appointment or possibly be asked to reschedule non-urgent visits.
Videography Policy
Due to privacy concerns and regulations, videography and/or audio recordings are not allowed in this office.
Thank you for complying with this policy.
Due to privacy concerns and regulations, videography and/or audio recordings are not allowed in this office.
Thank you for complying with this policy.
Cancellations - No Show
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify our office at least 24 hours in advance. With your prompt cancellation, we are able to bring another child in need of an appointment into the office. With a failure to cancel your appointment, your child’s chart will be noted as “Appointment-No Show” for the day of the scheduled visit. Should the chart be noted “Appointment-No Show” a second time, you will be charged a service fee of $50.00 to cover our expenses for this appointment time. Patients failing to cancel appointments create a great loss of revenue to our practice and we must recapture this revenue in some small way. A third infraction of “Appointment-No Show” will result in your termination from the practice. We will terminate our doctor-patient relationship with your family and ask that you seek another practice for your child’s medical needs. We will be available for “sick appointments only” for a brief period of time.
This policy went into effect on August 1, 2004. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify our office at least 24 hours in advance. With your prompt cancellation, we are able to bring another child in need of an appointment into the office. With a failure to cancel your appointment, your child’s chart will be noted as “Appointment-No Show” for the day of the scheduled visit. Should the chart be noted “Appointment-No Show” a second time, you will be charged a service fee of $50.00 to cover our expenses for this appointment time. Patients failing to cancel appointments create a great loss of revenue to our practice and we must recapture this revenue in some small way. A third infraction of “Appointment-No Show” will result in your termination from the practice. We will terminate our doctor-patient relationship with your family and ask that you seek another practice for your child’s medical needs. We will be available for “sick appointments only” for a brief period of time.
This policy went into effect on August 1, 2004. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Vaccine Policy
The physicians of Cobb Pediatric Associates firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives. We firmly believe in the safety of vaccines. We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The recommended vaccines, and the schedule by which they are given, are the result of years of scientific study and data-gathering on millions of children by our brightest scientists and physicians.
We recognize that there has always been and will likely be controversy surrounding vaccination. Occasionally, we are asked to withhold routine vaccines or give vaccines on an “alternative” schedule. There is no alternative immunization schedule recommended by the CDC or the American Academy of Pediatrics; therefore, we do not recommend any “alternative” schedule of immunization.
Our experience with patients and families tells us that if you are completely opposed to routine immunization or significantly disagree with our policy as described above, we may find it difficult to have a beneficial physician-patient/family relationship. An additional concern of ours is the risk posed to our other patients, to our staff and ourselves, and the community in general by parents who choose not to vaccinate their children. In such circumstances, we will ask that you find another provider for your child.
The physicians of Cobb Pediatric Associates firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives. We firmly believe in the safety of vaccines. We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The recommended vaccines, and the schedule by which they are given, are the result of years of scientific study and data-gathering on millions of children by our brightest scientists and physicians.
We recognize that there has always been and will likely be controversy surrounding vaccination. Occasionally, we are asked to withhold routine vaccines or give vaccines on an “alternative” schedule. There is no alternative immunization schedule recommended by the CDC or the American Academy of Pediatrics; therefore, we do not recommend any “alternative” schedule of immunization.
Our experience with patients and families tells us that if you are completely opposed to routine immunization or significantly disagree with our policy as described above, we may find it difficult to have a beneficial physician-patient/family relationship. An additional concern of ours is the risk posed to our other patients, to our staff and ourselves, and the community in general by parents who choose not to vaccinate their children. In such circumstances, we will ask that you find another provider for your child.
Telephone Calls
When you call our office, your call will be routed through our voice mail system. If it is necessary for you to leave a voice mail message, please let us know if your last name is different from your child's. This will help us find your child's records faster. Also, please leave an alternate phone number if possible and a pharmacy number if a prescription may need to be phoned in for your child.
When you call our office, your call will be routed through our voice mail system. If it is necessary for you to leave a voice mail message, please let us know if your last name is different from your child's. This will help us find your child's records faster. Also, please leave an alternate phone number if possible and a pharmacy number if a prescription may need to be phoned in for your child.
Prescription Refills
As a general rule, we do not prescribe antibiotics without first examining the patient. Prescription refills must be made during office hours so that your child's chart may be reviewed. We ask that you have your pharmacy telephone number available when you call.
As a general rule, we do not prescribe antibiotics without first examining the patient. Prescription refills must be made during office hours so that your child's chart may be reviewed. We ask that you have your pharmacy telephone number available when you call.
Referrals
For all non-emergency referrals, please contact our office at least one week in advance. For all emergency referrals, please contact our office the following business day. In the event your child may need to see a specialist or may require emergency care, your HMO or POS insurance company requires that you be referred by your primary care physician. If you do not receive authorization from us prior to your visit with a specialist or within the next business day of your emergency care, your insurance company may not pay for the treatment. Our office will not provide authorization for visits retroactively.
When it is necessary for you to obtain an emergency referral from our physician, your insurance company will require that our office provide them with certain information. Our staff will need to ask you questions such as the time, place, and date of the emergency visit as well as the reason for the visit, etc.
For all non-emergency referrals, please contact our office at least one week in advance. For all emergency referrals, please contact our office the following business day. In the event your child may need to see a specialist or may require emergency care, your HMO or POS insurance company requires that you be referred by your primary care physician. If you do not receive authorization from us prior to your visit with a specialist or within the next business day of your emergency care, your insurance company may not pay for the treatment. Our office will not provide authorization for visits retroactively.
When it is necessary for you to obtain an emergency referral from our physician, your insurance company will require that our office provide them with certain information. Our staff will need to ask you questions such as the time, place, and date of the emergency visit as well as the reason for the visit, etc.
Emergencies and After Hours Care
For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
If you need advice for the care of your child or if you believe your child needs urgent care after office hours, please call 770-941-7709 or 770-985-7926. Our answering service will take a message and send it to the Children’s Healthcare Nurse Advice Line and depending on their call volume; you should receive a call within 30 minutes to an hour. If your call is during a high peak time, such as a holiday weekend, it could be two hours before you receive a call back. If you have not heard from anyone within an hour, please call back. If you have caller I.D. and call block, please deactivate it by pressing *87 when awaiting a return call from our office, answering service, or physician on call. This will expedite your receiving a call back. You can reactivate it by pressing *77 after you have heard back from us.
We would like to make you aware of a recent change in our afterhours call coverage. We have for many years partnered with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and utilized their nurse advice line, which has always been offered to the community free of charge. However, beginning February 1, 2009 our office will be charged a PER CALL fee for each call received by the Children’s Healthcare call center from our patients.
We ask that you use the afterhours service only for truly urgent medical needs. Please call during regular office hours Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm for prescription refills, dosage instructions, or all other non-urgent questions.
There are several nurse advice lines available through insurance companies that you may be able to utilize free of charge:
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield has a 24 hour NurseLine number on the back of your member card. These calls are routed to a pediatric nurse when appropriate.
• Peachstate’s NurseWise number is 1-800-704-1484
• Amerigroup’s Community Care number is 866-864-2544 (English) or 866-864-2545 (Spanish)
Thank you for helping us to keep down unnecessary costs during these challenging economic times. We strive to provide excellent pediatric healthcare, and hope to avoid additional patient fees to cover these escalating costs.
Patients who must be seen after hours for emergency care are generally asked to go to the nearest Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta facility or any WellStar Pediatric ER.
Please remember to contact our office on the next business day for any referral your insurance company may require.
We are on call 24 hours a day for emergencies.
For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
If you need advice for the care of your child or if you believe your child needs urgent care after office hours, please call 770-941-7709 or 770-985-7926. Our answering service will take a message and send it to the Children’s Healthcare Nurse Advice Line and depending on their call volume; you should receive a call within 30 minutes to an hour. If your call is during a high peak time, such as a holiday weekend, it could be two hours before you receive a call back. If you have not heard from anyone within an hour, please call back. If you have caller I.D. and call block, please deactivate it by pressing *87 when awaiting a return call from our office, answering service, or physician on call. This will expedite your receiving a call back. You can reactivate it by pressing *77 after you have heard back from us.
We would like to make you aware of a recent change in our afterhours call coverage. We have for many years partnered with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and utilized their nurse advice line, which has always been offered to the community free of charge. However, beginning February 1, 2009 our office will be charged a PER CALL fee for each call received by the Children’s Healthcare call center from our patients.
We ask that you use the afterhours service only for truly urgent medical needs. Please call during regular office hours Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm for prescription refills, dosage instructions, or all other non-urgent questions.
There are several nurse advice lines available through insurance companies that you may be able to utilize free of charge:
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield has a 24 hour NurseLine number on the back of your member card. These calls are routed to a pediatric nurse when appropriate.
• Peachstate’s NurseWise number is 1-800-704-1484
• Amerigroup’s Community Care number is 866-864-2544 (English) or 866-864-2545 (Spanish)
Thank you for helping us to keep down unnecessary costs during these challenging economic times. We strive to provide excellent pediatric healthcare, and hope to avoid additional patient fees to cover these escalating costs.
Patients who must be seen after hours for emergency care are generally asked to go to the nearest Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta facility or any WellStar Pediatric ER.
Please remember to contact our office on the next business day for any referral your insurance company may require.
We are on call 24 hours a day for emergencies.
Financial Policy
We are sensitive to the rising cost of medical care and attempt to keep our fees for professional care as low as possible while at the same time provide quality care.
If you are insured with a plan in which we participate you are responsible for providing our office with your insurance card at the time of service. If you are not able to provide us with proof of coverage, full payment of your visit will be necessary at the time services are rendered. This includes check-up appointments which can be costly, due to the expensive costs of today’s immunizations. It is the responsibility of the patient or the parent/guardian to pay all co-payment and/or deductible amounts at the time of service.
If after your insurance has paid there is any co-insurance amount owed by you, payment is due within 30 days.
If you do not have insurance or are on a plan in which we do not participate, full payment is required at the time of your visit. We will supply the necessary information for you to file your insurance claim. If a large bill is anticipated and financial arrangements are necessary, a payment plan may be arranged with our billing department prior to your visit.
If your child is hospitalized, we will file your insurance claim and a bill will be mailed to you directly. All balances are due within 30 days unless other arrangements have been made. Please discuss any financial problems with our billing office at 770-941-7709, ext. 306, to avoid any misunderstandings.
For your convenience, we accept cash, personal checks, and debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.
We are sensitive to the rising cost of medical care and attempt to keep our fees for professional care as low as possible while at the same time provide quality care.
If you are insured with a plan in which we participate you are responsible for providing our office with your insurance card at the time of service. If you are not able to provide us with proof of coverage, full payment of your visit will be necessary at the time services are rendered. This includes check-up appointments which can be costly, due to the expensive costs of today’s immunizations. It is the responsibility of the patient or the parent/guardian to pay all co-payment and/or deductible amounts at the time of service.
If after your insurance has paid there is any co-insurance amount owed by you, payment is due within 30 days.
If you do not have insurance or are on a plan in which we do not participate, full payment is required at the time of your visit. We will supply the necessary information for you to file your insurance claim. If a large bill is anticipated and financial arrangements are necessary, a payment plan may be arranged with our billing department prior to your visit.
If your child is hospitalized, we will file your insurance claim and a bill will be mailed to you directly. All balances are due within 30 days unless other arrangements have been made. Please discuss any financial problems with our billing office at 770-941-7709, ext. 306, to avoid any misunderstandings.
For your convenience, we accept cash, personal checks, and debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.