Policies
Appointments
We would like to make it as easy as possible to schedule an appointment, please call our appointment line (504) 897-6351 or you can use our online request form for non-urgent appointment requests.
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early for your first appointment to allow time for registration and to complete a health questionnaire.
Our reminder service will call you the day before your appointment. Should you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, we ask that you contact the office at least 24 hours in advance.
Scheduling Tests or Treatment
Southern Orthopaedic Specialists will contact your insurance company on your behalf to obtain an authorization for any MRI, CT, Physical Therapy Services, Medical Equipment, or other procedure that is ordered by one of our physicians. Please allow 5 to 10 business days for your authorization to be obtained (depending on the turnaround time of each individual insurance company). Once we have the authorization number for your procedure we will provide the authorization number along with the physician’s order to the facility of your choosing and they will contact you to schedule your procedure or therapy services. If you are not contacted in a reasonable amount of time to schedule your procedure please let our office know and we can assist you.
- MRI, CT Scans or Epidural Steroid Injections: Rachel at (504) 897-6351, ext. 151
- Physical Therapy Authorizations: Glynda at (504) 897-6351, ext. 195
- Surgery Authorizations and Estimates: Clara at (504) 897-6351, ext. 114
Emergencies
One of our doctors is always available to personally answer your questions and can be reached by calling our after-hours answering service at our main number, (504) 897-6351.
In case of emergency, you should proceed to the nearest emergency room and let the ER know to contact our practice through our answering service at (504) 897-6351.
Fees and Payment
Our fees are based upon reasonable and customary charges prevailing in this area, and take into account the complexity of a particular problem. Fees for a new visit or new problem are higher than for a routine follow-up, as more time and resources are required to diagnose and treat a new problem than to follow an existing one. Learn more about our policies regarding fees and payment.
Prescription Refills
We want to process your request for prescription refills as quickly as possible. When you need a prescription refill, please notify your pharmacist or contact our office. Routine refill requests received after 3:00 pm will be handled the next business day. Our office policy is to refill prescriptions only during office hours. All scheduled pain medications require a written prescription, please allow time to pick up the written prescription from our office.
We will need the name of the medication, pharmacy name, and pharmacy phone number. In addition, we will need the patient’s name, address, and date of birth to ensure proper medication control. Please have this information ready when you call our office. During evenings, weekends, and holidays the doctor on call may not have immediate access to your records. Therefore, routine prescriptions cannot be refilled during this time. Please contact our office during office hours and before your medication has completely run out.
Medical Records
You can now print out your medical notes directly thorough our Patient Portal. HIPAA laws require that certain procedures be followed to release copies of a patient’s medical record, including documentation of the request. Healthport is the company we utilize to ensure all applicable laws and procedures are followed. If you request a copy of your records from our office, that request will go to Healthport and there will be a fee for the copies. There is no charge for records printed through our portal.
Referrals
A referral may be required before seeing one of our providers. Please contact your health plan for the most current information regarding your benefits.