Patient Guide

Appointment/Procedure Preparation

Premier Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center is currently accepting new patients by referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) or another specialist only. Once the referral is received, Dr. Thomas-John will review the information to determine your needs.  You will then be called by our receptionist to schedule.  If you don't hear from us within 2 weeks, please call us at (937) 208-7275(937) 208-7275 to check on the status of the referral and/or schedule an appointment.

What to Expect

Before the first appointment, you will be asked to fill out a Registration Form, a Financial Policies form, a Patient History Form as well as a Health Risk Assessment. Please review the Office Information Sheet prior to your appointment. We will send these forms to you after your appointment is scheduled via mail or email. Completing the forms in advance will help us get you in to see the physician faster.

As a new patient, please plan to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. When you arrive at the office for a scheduled appointment, we will verify your address, telephone number, work and cell phone numbers, PCP, and insurance information.  It is important that we be able to contact you with medical information as quickly as possible.  Please notify us immediately of any changes so that we can be in touch with you.  Bring your insurance card(s) with you so that we can keep your account updated.  

If you are a returning patient and have new insurance information, please also bring your updated insurance card(s). If you are a returning patient and have new insurance information, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment time and also bring your updated insurance card(s). 

Your initial visit takes about one hour and consists of a full review of your medical history and physical evaluation. Any subsequent visits will be scheduled following your appointment.

After Your Visit or Procedure

Your physician will order any tests and/or x-rays. Once test results are received, you will return for a follow-up appointment. This is usually scheduled by our office before you leave and this visit will take approximately 30 minutes. During your follow-up appointment, your physician will develop a treatment plan.

After Hours Care:  If you have a life-threatening emergency, dial 9-1-1.  If you need to contact a doctor for an urgent medical problem after normal office hours, please call the answering service at 1-(877) 495-3180(877) 495-3180. Your call will be returned at the earliest opportunity by the physician on-call.

Prescription:  This office uses an electronic prescribing system to make sure you get the prescriptions you need in a timely fashion. Your pharmacist will find our prescription either on their fax machine or in their computerized system. Our physicians do not prescribe opioids for pain management.

Test Results:  Many test results are available via MyChart within a few days of testing. If your test results indicate that you need treatment before your next appointment, our staff will contact you by phone or mail. Please be aware that some testing processing takes longer than others. Certain test results may take more than a week. Abnormal test results will be discussed as soon as possible. If we have not contacted you after two weeks, please let us know.

Billing and Insurance

Find detailed billing and insurance information in the Premier Physician Network billing section.

If your insurance company requires a written referral from your primary care physician for treatment by a specialist, we ask that you notify our office five working days before your specialist appointment.  This allows us time to obtain approval, prepare the referral, and mail or fax accordingly. Most insurance companies do not allow “back-dated” referrals.  If your insurance requires referrals for urgent or emergent care, please notify our office as soon as possible so that we can process the referral within the insurance company time limit.  Please read your insurance policy thoroughly and be familiar with your benefits.  If in doubt about your particular policy coverage, please contact your benefits administrator for clarification.

Financial Policies

Charges for office visits are due in full at the time of service.  If insurance coverage is verified, we will be happy to bill your insurance company for services rendered.  However, any co-payments, deductibles, and balances due for non-covered services are due at the time of service. For your convenience, we accept Cash, Check, MasterCard,Visa, Discover and American Express. If, for some reason, you are unable to pay your co-pay at the time of service, a $10 fee will be added.

Your insurance coverage is a contract between you and your insurance company.  Until your insurance makes payment, you are responsible for your bills.  Unless our agreement with your plan specifies otherwise, you are responsible for any non-insured portions of your bill.  Premier Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center participate with most, but not all, insurance companies.  If you have questions regarding coverage, please contact your benefits administrator or your insurance company.

Messages

Our physician and staff is in constant communication.  If you call the office with a question, we will relay your concerns to the physician.  A staff member or the physician will return your call.  

Disability paperwork

Please note that full evaluation for disability filing and the completion of disability paperwork is not within the scope of this practice.  If this is needed, the patient will be referred back to a primary care physician.

Appointment Scheduling

Arrival time
We ask that you arrive in our office 15 minutes early (60 minutes for new patients who have not completed their paperwork), that is before your appointment with the doctor. This allows us to take care of all your administrative needs prior to your appointment and ensures that you will receive the fully allotted time for your appointment. It is important that the physician has time to assess and treat each patient properly. Late arrival may result in you not seeing the doctor and will be charged as a no show.

We strive to provide excellent customer service and accommodate your needs in a timely fashion.  Each patient is important to us and we are dedicated to providing necessary care. Unpredictable situations may occur with patients who require extra attention during the course of the day. We appreciate your understanding when there are delays. The same courtesy will be extended to you when you have additional needs.

Missed appointments
Remember to give us 24-hour notice when you can not keep your appointment.  Failing to give adequate notice or not arriving in time for your appointment will be treated as a missed appointment.  A $25 fee will be charged for missed appointments.   (True emergencies exempted.)  Please keep in mind that three missed appointments may be cause for discharging a patient from the practice. 

Infusion appointments
Scheduling your medication infusion requires that we pre-order your medication and schedule a registered nurse for your care.  Failing to give adequate notice or not showing for your infusion compromise your care.  A $100 fee will be charge if you miss your infusion appointment.