Family  


12511 SW 68th Ave
Portland, OR 97223

Phone 503 675-1137
Fax 503 534-1137

 
 

 
 
FAQ's
What is an Annual Physical?

A Complete Physical Exam is different than an Office Visit.

There is a difference between a routine office visit and a physical exam and your insurance company is very particular about this. The Affordable Care Act details what is considered Preventive Services. Here's a good rule of thumb: "If you discuss symptoms at your physical you may be subject to a copay and deductible."

A physical, now called ''Wellness Visit' by the insurance companies, is a PREVENTATIVE visit and includes a whole body exam, medication review, medical history review; vaccine, lab and pertinent age appropriate studies. (e.g. colonoscopy, mammogram, dexa). Please bring and updated Medication List, include all medications, supplements, vitamins including herbal remedies.

Physicals cannot be performed during a new patient visit.

A routine office visit is the time to discuss your current health concerns, or ongoing treatment of chronic medical conditions. Unfortunately due to new insurance coverage limitations on most patients' plans, an office visit and a complete physical exam cannot be combined on the same visit.

Can I Have Physical at First Appointment
The short answer is no. Your initial appointment is an opportunity to meet with the doctor, discuss ongoing medical issues, gather family health history, review medications, obtain detailed personal information and get records from previous physicians. This appointment occupies a full 30 minutes and does not leave time for a typical physical. You can however schedule your 30 minute physical following your appointment.
Are Physicals Covered by Insurance?

Due to the complexity and variety of insurance policies, Kassay Family Medicine cannot be responsible for knowing every patient's coverage. It is very important for you to know the details of your policy. However, under the new healthcare laws, many insurers are required to cover certain preventive services at no cost to you. Do not postpone 'standard' care awaiting your physical. Your insurance company may determine your appointment is an office visit and bill you for the copay and deductible.

Think of it this way; Your annual physical is your opportunity to meet with your doctor for 30 minutes and focus on how to be healthy in the future! It is a wonderful benefit but requires a change in thinking. Bringing "Your List" to go over with the doctor once a year is not what the Health Care Reform covers.

Prescription Refills

Call your pharmacy and have them send a refill request. Even if you no longer have refills available, call your pharmacist first. The medical assistant will receive the request from the pharmacy and present it to the physician.

If your refill requires an appointment, the medical assistant will call you to schedule an office visit.

Please allow a minimum of 48 hours for refills.

How to most efficiently refill your prescriptions

Sports Physical

Schools require 'sport physicals' for athletic programs. These might not be covered by your insurance. It is a good idea to work with our scheduling department and try to orchestrate the annual physical with the sport physical. Don't forget to bring necessary forms to the appointment pre-filled out if possible.

Sports physicals that are not part of an annual exam will likely be 100% patient paid with no insurance benefit.

How Long is a Physical (Annual Wellness)?
30 minutes.
What is an Office visit?

Most appointments will be office visits. This an opportunity to discuss new or existing problems, prescribe and review medications, order necessary procedures, and orchestrate treatment/consultations with specialists.

Missed Appointment Fee $95

Starting 2023 the clinic will be administering a missed appointment fee for all missed or not giving 4 hours notice. It is important you receive the care you have scheduled, so do call as soon as you can to reschedule. Plus that will give other patients the opportunity to claim your appointment.

* TLDR below

I wanted to elaborate to explain why we would do this. Many of the benefits we have at the clinic are only offered by 'Concierge Clinics' that charge everyone $1500 to $7000/year membership fees. We have elected to not charge these fees and still offer as much if not more than Concierge. Same-day appintments, normal wait time less than 5 minutes, refills normally completed within 4 business hours, live receptionist, and normal business hours.

With labor costs increasing 25% and a major insurance company reducing our contract without negotiation 10%, we no longer have the 'wiggle' of years passed. So in a meritocracy, we will assess a portion of the cost to that specific missed appointment. Instead of everyone paying a penalty through a membership fee, or reducing staffing, the cost associated with missed appointmetns will be shared with just that individual.

Most patients we take the time to explain the prediciment of medical business find a new appreciation for how difficult it is running a business, in the same neighborhood as the most aggressive and successful capitalists in our country.

  • Lost Revenue: Missed appointments result in lost revenue for the clinic, as well as wasted time for medical staff and resources. Unlike manufacturing, when the last order is filled, they can send everyone home. We can't send staff home when appointments go unattended scattered through the day.
  • Dictated Pricing: Insurance companies dictate our price. We can't add a stipend to cover additional costs like every Coffee Cafe or business in the US. Insurance policies are going up but major insurers are reducing contracts to clinics.
  • ** Cost Reduction: We can only manage the business-side by managing costs. That means - STAFFING reduction. How does that effect you? Reduced hours to talk to a person, longer lead times to get appointment (I've heard some clinics are 8 weeks! We are same-day!), wait times similar to what you hear your friends complain about, not the 5 minute average of our waiting room.

By implementing a missed appointment fee, the small medical clinic can ensure that its resources and staff time are being used effectively and efficiently, and that patients are held accountable for their appointments. Here is to going forward and continuing the vision Dr. Kassay actualized in 2010 as an independent physician delivering exceptional medical care.

Skin Care Recommendations

Many patients ask Dr. Kassay what she uses for skin care products. After years of trial and error, Dr. Kassay feels confident in a few products . She prefers products without a myriad of complex steps. Products that are medically sound and include active ingredients. She does not believe in spending money for glycerine, oil and fragrance.

For your convenience, Dr. Kassay has worked with Amazon.com to make these products convenient and most at a discount to you.

Link to Amazon listings

Billing Insurance
As a courtesy, Kassay Family Medicine will bill health insurers. However, the patient must understand, they are ultimately responsible for all fees for services rendered and products. If the primary insurance does not pay within 60 days of the visit, the remaining balance will be billed or charged to the credit card on file.
There is no guarantee, stated or implied, that all services or procedures will be covered by the patient’s insurance. Kassay Family Medicine does not know the intricacies of every insurance policy and how they may or may not adhere to the tenants of Medicine. It is the insured’s responsibility for knowing insurance benefits and guidelines. Just because insurance isn’t covering a procedure or service is not evidence it is unnecessary.
No Insurance
We accept ‘cash pay’. Payment is due at the time of visit, we do not extend credit. We will do our best to estimate the cost of the visit based on complexity.
Dr. Kassay does not practice Emergency Room Medicine. Unlike many Urgent Care facilities, Dr. Kassay requires you become an established patient first. (If you have a current condition, it can be addressed during your initial visit.) This does make the initial appointment more expensive but once established, your long term wellbeing will be the focus and not a quick-fix of your current illness. Our cash patient fees for establishing and long term care are comparable to popular urgent care facilities.

The New Patient Establish Visit is 30 minutes. During this appointment your medical history, family medical history, current conditions, current medication and a physical review of systems. Once you are established, you will be eligible for same-day appointments with Doctor Kassay.

 

 

 

Kassay Family Medicine

12511 SW 68th Ave
Portland, OR 97223
503.675.1137 Phone
503.534.1137 Fax

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Scheduling Times:

 
     

Office Visit:
0-3 business days

New Patient:
2 weeks - 1 month
This does extend as we get closer to the end of the year.
If you have a flexible schedule we can get you on a waiting list for cancellations.

Annual Wellness (Physical):
2-3 months.
You can plan
for a complete physical exam or well child check yearly.
Bring updated Medication List.

Urgent Care:
We have several same day appointments. Call early and leave a message if before 8am.