Frequently Asked Questions

Medical

You will need to speak to our New Patient Coordinator.  We will have you complete a new patient packet and sign a medical records release form so we may obtain your previous medical records prior to setting up an appointment.  This process allows your provider to appropriately treat your medical needs.  Click for more info.

  • Insurance information along with your co-payment
  • Current photo identification (ex. state issued driver’s license, ID card, passport, or Federal issied ID card)
  • Paperwork that was given to you and asked to return at the first visit
  • List of over-the-counter and prescription medications including supplements and vitamins

We have a Walk-In Clinic located next to our pharmacy in Grants Pass. Our Walk-In Clinic is open Monday through Saturday.

Please call our office as soon as you can.  We request 24 hours notice for cancelled visits.  This will enable us to offer this time slot to another patient.

Most specialists require you to see and obtain a referral from your Primary Care Provider prior to making an appointment.

Call your pharmacy to request a refill.  The pharmacy will contact us if an authorization is needed.  Please allow 72 hours processing time.

Family Planning and/or Contraceptive Care programs are available through our medical facilities.  These are state funded programs that allow patients who qualify to receive free or reduced cost for services including:

  • pregnancy tests
  • Contraception counseling and methods
  • Annual Women’s Health care
  • STI testing, counseling, and treatment

Dental

Yes, we love new patients!  Our office welcomes walk-ins, but we encourage pre-arranged appointments to ensure optimal timeliness and attention.  Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

  • Picture identification
  • Insurance card
  • Payment for today’s visit
  • List of over-the-counter and prescription medications
  • Completed new patient paperwork downloaded from our website or received in the mail.
  • X-rays taken within the last year.  If a full mouth series or panoramic film was taken within the last five years, please bring that as well.

As a courtesy, we will make a reminder call to you prior to your appointment.  Please be aware that, if we are unable to reach you, we do request that you CALL US to confirm your appointment at least 24 hrs ahead of your appointed time.  Without this confirmation, your appointment may be cancelled.

The first visit in our office, for an adult, can take an average of 90 minutes.  Once you’ve completed your paperwork and we have set you up in our database, you will be taken back for a full mouth series of x-rays.  This is usually done at the first visit and then once every three to five years.

Your exam will include a full intra-oral exam of your teeth and tissues, including an oral cancer screening.  Your dentist will check for many things including decay, fracture, breakdown of old restorations, various disease indicators, as well as talking to you about any orthodontic correction you may need.  If you have any cosmetic concerns, he will make his recommendations on ways to improve your smile.  The first visit is a great time to ask any questions about your dental health.

If the doctor has recommended any treatment, one of our treatment coordinators will present a cost estimate and will schedule your next hygiene and/or treatment visit(s).

In order to maintain a well run office, we appreciate as much notice as possible for appointment cancellations.  This enables us to schedule other patients that need to be seen.  A minimum of 24 hour notice is requested.

In case of an emergency, please call our office and the answering service will get a dentist in contact with you.  The dentist will return your call as soon as possible, give you helpful information over the phone and then decide if you need to be seen immediately.

Recall x-rays are taken annually and a full set of x-rays are taken every 3-5 years.  X-rays help us see problems in the early stages of development such as:

  • Cavities between teeth, under the gums and around old fillings
  • bone loss due to periodontal disease
  • problems below the gums, such as long or crooked tooth roots
  • locations of the nerves

Usually two times during a year is enough for most people.  You should discuss your oral health with the dentist and hygienist and together decide the best schedule for you personally.  At minimum, annual checkups are always recommended to properly assess your teeth’s condition and your gums to prevent cavities and gum disease.

We advise bringing in your child between the age of one and two for their first visit.

You will need to come into our office and complete a Records Release form.  This must be signed by the patient or their legal guardian.  State law requires that a dental office have copies of the requested information available within two weeks.  Our office will do our best to accommodate requests for information or x-rays needed sooner.

Insurance & Billing

We are contracted with most health plans.  Please check with your insurance company to make sure we are on your plan.  Some plans we do accept and bill; however, we are not considered a participating provider which could mean more out of pocket expense to you.  Make sure you ask your insurance what your benefits are for seeing a provider at our facility.

This may be a requirement with your insurance company both for medical and dental services.  Please contact your insurance today.  If you are required to have a primary care provider, you will not be able to be seen at our facilities until one of our providers are assigned to you as your primary care provider.

As a courtesy to you, when complete insurance billing information is provided at the time of service, we will submit a claim to your insurance.  Please note that your benefits are between you and your insurance company.  If your insurance does not cover the charges you remain responsible for the payment for these services.

“UCR” is a term used by insurance companies to describe the amount they are willing to pay for a particular dental procedure.  There is no standard fee or accepted method for determining the UCR and the UCR has no relationship to the fee charged by your dentist.   The administrator of each dental benefit plan determines the fees that the plan will pay, often based on many factors including region of the country, number of procedures performed and cost of living.

Your dental benefit may vary for a number of reasons, such as:

  • You have already used some or all of the benefits available from your dental insurance.
  • Your insurance plan paid only a percentage of the fee charged by your dentist.
  • The treatment you needed was not a covered benefit.
  • You have not yet met your deductible.
  • You have not reached the end of your plan’s waiting period and are currently ineligible for coverage.

We will do our best to estimate the cost of your visit at check in.  At our dental offices we will generate an estimate form for you to review and pay prior to treatment.  If you are on our sliding discount program or have a copay with your insurance, that amount will be due at check in.  If you do not have any insurance and do not qualify for our sliding discount program, you will be offered a 20% discount on the estimated charges when paid at check in.

Often times the amount you are quoted at check in is an estimate based on the type of appointment you have scheduled.  The final charge is not determined until the provider submits the charges based on the services actually performed.  This may result in a higher charge than the original estimate.  Another reason may be that your insurance did not cover the services the way you expected.  In this case, you will need to contact your insurance company for further information.

We do participate in a Federal Sliding Discount Program.  Fees may be reduced based on your family size and income.  Please refer to our Sliding Discount Program information for more details.

We recognize that the costs of medical and dental care can pose significant challenges to some of our patients.  It has been our policy to work with patients, as needed, to make financial arrangements that are reasonable and mutually beneficial.  Upon approval by our Collection Specialist, monthly payments may be arranged to settle your account balance.

It is important that you maintain your account in good standing.  Payments need to be made regularly and consistently.  If you are unable to make a scheduled payment, please discuss this with our Collection Specialist and work out a plan to keep your account current.  Failure to maintain your account could result in it being turned over to an outside collection agency.  If your account does get turned to a collection agency you may be discharged from further services at our facilities.

Some labs will be sent out to LabCorp if it is not one we are able to process in house.  In this case, you will receive a bill from LabCorp for any patient responsibility after insurance is billed.

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

  • You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. 
  • Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
  • If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
  • Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (541) 472-4799.

Registration

Three days before your scheduled appointment, you will receive a text or email reminder to confirm your appointment. To view the appointment provider and location, you will need to click on the link of the text.  To confirm, select the Confirm Appointment button.

If you do not confirm your appointment, our staff will attempt to reach you by phone two days before and will provide you with a courtesy call one day prior if still unconfirmed. If we do not receive a response by 3:00pm the day before your appointment, it will be cancelled.

Whether you confirm your appointment through text or email or with one of our schedulers, you will still receive a text or email one day prior to your appointment.  This notification serves as a final reminder as well as a link to pre-register. Pre-registering allows you to complete the registration process from the comfort of your home on your own personal device. You will be asked to confirm your personal information and update changes in address, insurance, etc.  You will also be able to make a payment if there is a balance due.

If you choose not to pre-register, we ask that you arrive 15 minutes early for your appointment to complete registration in-office. The process will be the same, but we will provide you with a device to complete the process.

Our staff are always available to assist and answer questions regarding the registration process. Please call (541) 295-8062 if you need assistance.

We ask patients to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time.  This allows ample time to complete your registration, if you did not complete it at home, and gives us an opportunity to answer any questions you may have.

To process your visit, we will need to confirm your demographics, insurance information, and provide you with updated policies/forms as needed at each visit you schedule. Our pre-registration process makes this a fast and easy experience. If you do not complete the pre-registration, you will be asked to complete it in our office either on the tablet or paper version.

LINKS

Patient Forms
How Do I Establish Care?
Sliding Fee Discount Program
Patient Rights & Responsibilities
HIPAA (Privacy Practices)
Vendor Guideline