Patient Resources

APPOINTMENTS

Our staff is available to schedule appointments Monday-Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:45 pm, and Fridays from 8:30 am to 3:45 pm. We will work with you to find an appointment date and time that works with your schedule and places you with the first available treating surgeon. All our surgeons are boarded in orthopedic surgery and fellowship trained in hand surgery.

Occasionally it becomes necessary for a patient to cancel or reschedule a previously scheduled office visit. If this should happen to you, please call our office as soon as possible to notify us so we can release your appointment slot to another patient. There is no charge associated with cancellations. Our staff will assist you with re-scheduling your visit or procedure.

BEFORE YOUR VISIT

At New England Hand Associates we want each patient's experience to be the best it can possibly be. There are several things you can do to assist us in caring for you when come in for your appointment:

INSURANCE CARD

Be sure to bring your insurance card and driver's license or other ID with you and present it when you check in. We will confirm that your information matches our records and will bill your plan for any office visits, x-rays or procedures. If your visit is not covered by insurance or if we do not accept your plan, please call the office prior to your appointment to discuss payment.

CO-PAYS AND DEDUCTIBLES

If your plan includes a co-payment or deductible amount, we request that you pay this amount at the time of your visit. We accept cash, personal checks, and major credit cards including MasterCard, VISA, Discover and American Express. If your care is covered by workers' compensation or auto accident insurance, please call our Framingham office at (508) 872-7881 to notify us and to provide us with the necessary information to allow us to book your initial evaluation. New England Hand Associates participates in most major insurance plans.

REFERRAL AUTHORIZATION

Patients enrolled in an HMO or other managed care plans are generally required to obtain an authorization from their primary care physician (PCP) for referral and treatment prior to their appointment with us. If your plan has such a requirement, it is your responsibility to ensure that a referral authorization has been completed and sent by your PCP to this office. Patients who have not obtained the necessary authorization from their plan may be billed directly by us for our services. To ensure that you are not billed, please confirm with your PCP's office that you have a referral and that is valid for the date of your visit. Referrals can be faxed to us at (508) 872-9545.

X-RAYS AND DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES

Please bring any x-rays and radiology reports which relate to the condition for which you are being seen in our office. X-rays - including plain films, CT scans and MRIs - are increasingly available in digital format and can be requested from the facility at which your imaging study was performed. If you were referred for an electromyogram (EMG) or nerve conduction test, we will obtain copies from the physician or facility which performed that test for you. If you have questions or would like further information, please call our office and request to speak with one of our radiology technologists or staff.

EMERGENCIES

If you were referred to our office from the emergency room, we will do our best to schedule you for an urgent evaluation based on the severity of your injury or condition. If you were seen in the emergency room by one of our physicians you are assured priority in scheduling your evaluation and any possible follow-up treatment.

If you are already one of our patients and encounter a problem related to your recent treatment or surgery, please call our main office number to discuss your issue with one of our staff members. If you call outside of normal office hours, you will be assisted by our answering service, where an operator will take your message and forward it to the on-call physician.

SELF-PAY PATIENTS

In a situation where you do not currently have insurance coverage or where New England Hand Associates physicians do not participate with your insurance plan, we can still arrange for evaluation and treatment on a self-pay basis. Please call our scheduling staff to discuss payment arrangements.