Office

Essential Family Medicine of Omaha
17520 Wright St, Suite 105
Omaha, NE 68130
402-991-5353

Office Hours
Monday: 7:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday: 7:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Click here for door to door driving directions

Appointments:

You can schedule an appointment by calling us at 402-991-5353.  You can also contact us for an appointment through the patient portal.  Please be sure to arrive 10 minutes early for your appointment to get checked in and to update your insurance and billing information.  Patients who are more than 10 minutes late, may be required to reschedule their appointment.  Please call our clinic at 402-991-5353 to cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance.

Special accommodations:

Our practice is accessible by wheelchair.  Please let us know when scheduling if you will need an interpreter.

For every appointment, please bring:

1. Your insurance card and ID

2. All your medications, in their original containers.  Be sure to include prescription, over-the-counter, natural, and herbal medicines and vitamins.

3. A description of the problem, how long you have had it and how it affects you.

4. A list of your health questions.  Put the questions that are the most important to you at the top of the list.  If you have more questions then scheduled time allows, you may need to schedule an additional appointment.  We will do our best to address as many questions as we can.

5. If you wish, ask a family member or trusted friend to go to your appointment with you.

Telephone Calls During Office Hours:

When calling our office, always call the same number: 402-991-5353.  You will get a menu of options to direct you to the most appropriate person for your needs.  Please call the office during regular office hours for routine matters such as appointments, questions, laboratory reports and vaccine forms.  We are not able to accommodate routine requests when our office is closed.

If you have a question during office hours, please call and select the option for your physician and leave a message for the nursing staff.  You can also contact us through the patient portal.  We will return your call the same day if we receive it before 4:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and by 4:00 pm on Friday.

After Hours Services:

Medical services are available to our patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies and urgent health concerns.  If you are sick or have a medical problem and you are not sure it can wait until regular office hours, please call us at any time for advice.  Even when we are closed, you should call our office at 402-991-5353 and you will be connected to the doctor on call.  In the event of an emergency, call 911 or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.

Prescription refills:

The best way to get prescriptions refilled is to have your pharmacy fax the request to our office at 402-991-5444.  Please allow 24 hours for us to refill the prescription.  When you come to your appointment, please check to see what medications you need refilled, so we can refill them at your appointment and make sure you have enough medication until your next appointment time.

Lab and Diagnostic tests:

We draw blood at the clinic and send it to Physician's Lab for analysis.  Your results will come directly through the computer to your doctor and you will have access to your lab results through the patient portal.  For fasting lab work, do not have anything to eat or drink, except for water, for at least 8 hours before the labs are drawn.  We are happy to draw your labs at your appointment.  If you would like to get lab drawn before your appointment, please call our office so we can order the lab work for you.  You may then stop in the clinic after 7 AM Monday-Friday to get your blood drawn.

Most routine diagnostic and radiology tests are done by the West Omaha Imaging Center located in the Midwest Cancer Institute at 17201 Wright Street.  It is on the Lower Level, Suite 100.  Their phone number is (402) 717-4760.  They are able to perform X-rays, nuclear medicine scans and CT scans.  For MRIs and ultrasounds, patients may go to the Lakeside Imaging Center at 17030 Lakeside Hills Plaza, Suite 107.  Mammograms and DEXA scans can be performed at Lakeside Hosptial 16901 Lakeside Hills Court.  While these are convenient locations to have diagnostic testing done, you are welcome to choose other locations.

We will call you with your lab and radiology results.  If you have not been notified of your results within 1 week, please call the clinic.

Transferring records:

To transfer records to our practice, please fill out a release of records form.  Please ask the front desk or nurse for the form or it can be found on our website.  You can fax the form to 402-991-5444 or give it to the front desk or nursing staff.

Payment:

We participate in most insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare.  We are in-network for all major insurances including Prominence Health and all Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans.  Please confirm that we accept your healthcare plan before your first visit or if you change insurance carriers.

Please make any required payments or co-payments at the time of your visit.  We accept cash, personal checks, and most major credit cards.  If you have any questions regarding your bill, please call 402-991-5353 and press option 3.

Financial Policy:

 

PURPOSE :

Essential Family Medicine of Omaha (EFM) is committed to providing quality and affordable health care to the patients it serves. We respectfully expect that payment is due by all patients at the time services are rendered.

POLICY :

To ensure all patient balances are appropriately billed and collected.

PROCEDURE:

The following guidelines are to be followed during the billing and collection process:

Insurance :

EFM participates in most insurance plans. EFM will bill the patient’s insurance company as a courtesy. Insurance claims will be filed daily by our billing staff. The patient’s insurance company may request patients to supply certain information directly, that is the responsibility of the patient to comply with their request. The patient is directly responsible for the balance of their claim whether or not their insurance company pays the claim. The patient’s insurance benefit is a contract between the patient and the insurance carrier; EFM is not a party to that contract.

Referrals :

It is the patient’s responsibility to get any referral or pre-authorizations prior to the time of their visit or procedure. If the patient is unable to obtain the authorization at the time of their appointment, they will need to be rescheduled.

Co-payments and Deductible :

All co-payments must be paid at the time of service. This arrangement is part of the patient’s contract with their insurance company. Failure by EFM’s staff to not collect co-payments and deductibles from patients can be considered fraud.

Non-covered Services :

Some if not all services a patient receives at EFM may be non-covered or not considered reasonable or necessary by Medicare or other insurers. Patients must pay for these services at the time of their visit if applicable. A waiver should be signed by all Medicare patients for non-covered services stating their responsibility for payment for these services rendered.

Proof of Insurance :

All patients must complete our patient registration form before seeing the doctor. EFM must obtain a copy of the current valid insurance card to provide proof of insurance. If the patient fails to provide this information in a timely manner, they may be responsible for the balance of their claim.

Methods of Payments:

EFM accepts payment by cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express

$35.00 service charge will be assessed for returned checks.

Patient Statements :

Unless other arrangements are approved by EFM in writing, the balance of the patient’s statement is due and payable when the statement is issued, and is considered past due if not paid by the end of the month.

1. Patients receive three statements, one generated on the day that patient responsibility is established, followed by a second notice 30 days after that date.  A third final demand statement is sent 60 days if unpaid.

2. Thirty days after the third statement is issued which is 90 days after the initial statement  is issued, the Practice mails a letter or calls patient requesting that the patient make payments or contact the Practice to discuss alternatives.

3. Thirty days after the letter issued or phone call place, which is 120 days following the intitial statement, the patient may receive a Collections Letter from the Practice requesting that the patient contact the EFM or pay their balance, otherwise collections will commence.

Nonpayment :

If the patient’s account is past due 90 days or greater and the balance has not been paid in full or a payment arrangement made, the patient could be sent to collections. Until these balances are paid in full, our physicians will only be able to treat these patients on a case by case basis. The patient’s physician will determine if the patient needs to be seen or not. Any allowed visits will require cash or credit card payment in full at the time of service, unless they have valid insurance. The patient’s physician reserves the right to allow visit’s when payment cannot be made at the time of service. Patients may be terminated due to non-payment.

If a patient has filed bankruptcy in the past, any future visits would need to be paid by cash or credit card if the patient does not have valid insurance. If there is a valid insurance, any co-payments or deductibles would still need to be paid at the time of service.

Collection Fee:

I understand that in the event my account is placed in collection status, any additional fees incurred due to this will be added to my outstanding balance.  This includes but is not limited to late fees, collection agency fees, court costs, interests and fines.  I understand that these additional fees will be my personal responsibility to pay in full.

Divorce :

In the case of a divorce or separation, the party responsible for the account balance is the parent authorizing treatment for a child.  If the divorce decree requires the other parent to pay all or part of the treatment costs, it is the authorizing parent’s responsibility to collect from the other parent.

Worker’s Compensation :

EFM requires written approval/authorization by the patient’s employer and/or worker’s compensation carrier prior to the patient’s initial visit. If the claim is denied, it is the patient’s responsibility for payment in full.

Personal Injury :

Patient’s that are being treated as part of a personal injury lawsuit or claim, EFM requires verification from the party representing the patient to their initial visit if applicable. Payment of the bill remains the patient’s responsibility. EFM cannot bill the patient’s attorney for charges incurred due to a personal injury case.

Medical Records Copies : A patient will need to request in writing copies of their medical records. The charge for this service is a $20.00 processing fee and $0.50 per page that is due upon receipt of medical record copies.

Payment Plan Agreement :

If the patient is a self-pay patient with no valid insurance coverage a 10% discount will be given to balances paid in full at the time of service.

All patient balances are expected to be paid in full at time of service or 30 days upon receipt of patient statement. If full payment cannot be made the following guidelines should be followed when setting up scheduled payment agreements:

Account Balance Owed

Minimum Monthly Payment

Maximum Monthly Payments

Under $250.00

$125.00

2

$250.00 - $500.00

$125.00

4

$501.00 - $1,000.00

$200.00

5

$1,001.00 - $1,500.00

$250.00

6

$1,501.00 – $2,000.00

$250.00

8

$2,001.00 - $2,500.00

$275.00

9

$2,501.00 - $3,000.00

$300.00

10

Greater than $3,000.00

Refer to clinic administrator

12

Contact Us

Please give us a call at the office if you have any other questions! 402-991-5353