FAQs

• Your insurance card or other health coverage information. *Please be aware that many insurance carriers require you to have a referral (authorization from your primary care physician) before treatment is provided by a specialist, such as an orthopedist. Please check with your insurance carrier if you have any questions about your plan.
• List of prescription medications including doses and how often you take them.
• Referral form if required by your health insurance plan.
• Any X-rays or MRIs that have been taken.
• Clinic notes or operative reports from your referring physician (that relate to the condition for which you are seeking medical consultation from our physician).

Should you have any general questions prior to your visit, please feel free to contact us at (651) 968-5200 and we will be happy to assist you.

Yes. The physician will still want to review your X-rays. X-rays may need to be repeated in our office if you do not bring them to your appointment with you.

We like to have patients bring in any medical records that pertain to their orthopedic concerns. To obtain records, patients must call the clinic where they received the treatment and either hand carry them to their appointment or have them faxed to our office before their visit.

A formal release must be signed by the patient or guardian before any records can be released. This form should state what records are requested and where the records should be sent. Medical records requests are normally filled within seven to ten business days.

All minors are required to have a parent or legal guardian at their first visit. A parent may sign our minor release form that states a minor may be seen in our office without a parent only for follow-up visits.

In order for a MRI to be released, typically patients must call the clinic where the MRI was taken. Patients can either pick up the MRI themselves or have the MRI sent to our clinic site prior to their appointment.

Wheelchairs are available at all of our physician clinical locations.

With a standard referral form another physician, there is usually an appointment available within two weeks if the patient is willing to accept any surgeon. Requests for a particular surgeon and/or clinic location are sometimes more difficult to honor within two weeks depending on each physician’s schedule.

For urgent concerns, the clinic usually will have an appointment available within one week. Information regarding the injury is collected from the patient, and the triage department will determine the appropriate appointment time. On some occasions this means that a physician assistant will perform the initial evaluation and present the patient to a physician in the clinic or to the physician on call.

A co-pay for an office visit is determined by your insurance company and is your portion of the payment for the visit. Co-pays will need to be paid at the time of appointment. If you have multiple therapy visits in the same week, a co-pay is due for each visit.

Emergencies arise occasionally when our patients need to contact our physicians regarding pain or other symptoms. Our clinic always has physicians “on call” in case of after-hours emergencies. If you need to contact a Summit Orthopedics physician when the clinic is closed (after-hours or on weekends), please call (651) 968-5201 and the hospital will notify the physician on call to contact you. For nonemergency prescriptions or prescription refills, please call during normal hours of operation. Be aware that any request for a prescription or prescription refills prior to 3 p.m. on any business day will be answered in order of receipt on that same day. Any request for a prescription or prescription refills after 3 p.m. will be answered in order of receipt on the following business day. All requests will be addressed as quickly as possible.

Needing to have surgery is a very anxious time for anyone, whether you have had previous surgeries or not. In order to make the experience a better one for our patients, you will be provided detailed information about when to arrive at the hospital and what to expect after your surgery has been completed. When packing your bags to go to the hospital, remember to pack the following:

• Any specific, individualized instructions/information provided to you by your physician.
• A complete list of all prescription and nonprescription medications that you are taking.
• Loose, comfortable clothing (including shorts).
• Athletic or walking shoes.
• Insurance/Workers’ Compensation information.
• Picture I.D.

Summit Orthopedics providers will only refill medications they have originally prescribed. Please double-check the name of the ordering provider before contacting our office for a refill. It is best to notify us at the time of your office appointment. If that is not possible, please contact your pharmacy and they will contact us directly. Medications will not be refilled at night and on weekends.