Our Commitment to You The Patient
Mutual Respect
Payment Policy
Our Commitment to You The Patient
1. Same day and next day appointments. One of the great advantages to choosing Doctor Tomchik as your doctor is the ability to see either him or Penny on the same day or at the LATEST the next day. This policy applies to all patients we see, new patients and existing patients. Many doctors' offices have a waiting time of a several weeks or more to see the doctor, this is never true at Health Circle.
2. Open nights and weekends. In order to cater to our patients who work during the day and cannot take time off of work, or are otherwise preoccupied we are open evenings [on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays] and we are open Saturday mornings.
3. Meeting Doctor Tomchik or Penny before you decide to select either as your doctor. We at Health Circle are committed to ensuring our patients know Doctor Tomchik and/or Penny before you choose to see us as a patient. Simply call (954) 450-3550, and ask to meet the Doctor and/or Penny. This is not considered an appointment, and therefore you will NOT be charged any fees, co-pays, deductibles, etc.
4. Fast but thorough office visits. While it is impossible to predict how long your appointment will take, we try to make sure no patient is forced to wait to see the Doctor or Penny for more than a hour. At the same time we refuse to sacrifice the quality of your visit for the sake of expediency. Our staff, including Doctor Tomchik and Penny, will spend the time with you that is needed to provide a thorough examination and answer/clarify all the questions you might have.
5. Never too much, never too little. Many physicians, particularly now that the economy is weak, perform lots of unnecessary tests and/or procedures on their patients. This means higher charges for you the patient if you have a deductible, co-insurance, or if you have no insurance. Conversely, many physicians do not do enough to assist their patients because they want to see as many patients as possible, likewise increasing their profit. At Health Circle we guarantee that you will never receive unnecessary tests and procedures, but that you will receive all the appropriate care that you require and/or request.
6. Services about and beyond a traditional family medical practice. In addition to providing check ups and treating your standard illnesses we at Health Circle offer many additional procedures, including laser hair removal, skin rejuvenation, a weight loss program, criminal justice physicals, physician administered vitamins and supplements, stress testing, radiowave treatments, INS (immigration and naturalization) physicians, school immunizations, school physicals, and more. For more detailed information take a look at our list of services.
7. The doctor is available 24/7 to refill prescriptions and provide medical advice. In order to take advantage of this service simply call us at (954) 450-3550. During our business hours our medical staff will answer the phones, and assist you with your problem; during non-business hours our answering machine will provide you with the cell phone of Doctor Robert Tomchik.
8. Assisting self-pay patients (patients without insurance). Unfortunately, thanks to the powerful insurance company lobbyists it is illegal for us to charge self-pay patients a reduced fee (a fee less than we would charge insurance companies). However, if a self-pay patient is unable to pay their bill we are more than willing to work out a payment plan in which the patient can make payments over a set period of time, without any interest (this is a payment plan not a loan).
We also encourage our patients to visit the web site of the non-profit, non-partisan organization DividedWeFail.org and add their voice to those that demand affordable and quality health insurance, and financial security for all Americans (no contributions are necessary).
9. Provding you with a doctor who is also a neighbor of yours. The majority of our patients come from Sunset Lakes and Silver Lakes, in Miramar. Doctor Tomchik currently resides in Monaco, Sunset Lakes, Miramar, and therefore is literally the neighborhood doctor.
| Mutual Respect |
One of the first things you notice when you first visit our office is that the only thing that physically separates our receptionists from our patients is the desk they work at; there is no tiny window that you have to peer through in order to interact with our staff, and likewise there is no tiny bell you have to ring to get a derelict recepitionist to provide you with service.
Every receptionist and every Medical Assistant wears a name badge that simply shows their first name. We have a first name only policy at Health Circle, which is of course not strictly enforced. And, finally when we are not open the Doctor's cell phone number is listed for our patients to contact.
At Health Circle we pride ourselves on forming more personal relationships with our patients than most doctors do; however, our openness and kindness comes at a price. Because we cannot isolate ourselves from our patients it becomes more dangerous when patients become threatening: verbally, physically, sexually, or in any other manner. As a result we have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to patients that threaten or intimidate our staff. Such patients are not only disruptive to our practice, but they also negatively impact our other patients as well. Therefore, we ask all patients to be courteous and even tempered, and any patient that becomes threatening will be discharged from our practice.
| Payment Policy |
We are committed to providing you with quality and affordable health care. Because some of our patients have had questions regarding patient and insurance responsibility for services rendered, we have been advised to develop this payment policy. Please read it, and feel free to ask us any questions you may have.
1. Insurance. We participate in most insurance plans, including Medicare. If you are not insured by a plan we do business with, payment in full is expected at each visit. If you are insured by a plan we do business with but do not have an up-to-date insurance card, payment in full for each visit is required until we can verify your coverage. Knowing your insurance benefits is your responsibility. Please contact your insurance company with any questions you may have regarding your coverage.
2. Co-payments and deductibles. All co-payments and deductibles must be paid at the time of service. This arrangement is part of your contract with your insurance company. Failure on our part to collect co-payments and deductibles from patients can be considered fraud. Please help us in upholding the law by paying your co-payment at each visit.
3. Non-covered services. Please be aware that some – and perhaps all – of the services you receive may be non-covered or not considered reasonable or necessary by Medicare or other insurers. You must pay for these services in full at the time of the visit.
4. Proof of insurance. All patients must complete our patient information form before seeing the doctor. We must obtain a copy of your driver’s license and current valid insurance to provide proof of insurance. If you fail to provide us with the correct insurance information in a timely manner, you may be responsible for payment of the balance of a claim.
5. Claims submission. We will submit your claims and assist you in any way we reasonably can to help get your claims paid. Your insurance company may need you to supply certain information directly. It is your responsibility to comply with their request. Please be aware that the balance of your claim is your responsibility whether or not your insurance company pays your claim. Your insurance benefit is a contract between you and your insurance company; we are not party to that contract.
6. Coverage changes. If your insurance changes, please notify us before your next visit so we can make the appropriate changes to help you receive your maximum benefits. If your insurance company does not pay your claim in 45 days, the balance will automatically be billed to you.
7. Nonpayment. If your account is over 90 days past due, you will receive a letter stating that you need to pay your account in full. Partial payments will not be accepted unless otherwise negotiated. Please be aware that if a balance remains unpaid, we may refer your account to a collection agency and you and your immediate family members may be discharged from this practice. If this is to occur, you will be notified by regular and certified mail that you have 30 days to find alternative medical care. During that 30-day period, our physician will only be able to treat you on an emergency basis.
8. Missed appointments. Our policy is to charge for missed appointments not canceled within a reasonable amount of time. These charges will be your responsibility and billed directly to you. Please help us to serve you better by keeping your regularly scheduled appointment. Our practice is committed to providing the best treatment to our patients. Our prices are representative of the usual
and customary charges for our area. Thank you for understanding our payment policy. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
