Proof of Insurance
Patients should alert front desk staff of any insurance changes prior to being seen. Adequate proof of insurance is required at all visits; be prepared to show a current insurance card at the time of check-in. If adequate proof of insurance is not established prior to the appointment, you will be financially responsible for the entire visit at the time services are rendered. If your insurance is in-network, we will submit to your insurance on your behalf within the timely filing limits. In most cases, we submit your claims within 48 hours of your office visit. Should you wish to submit to insurance on your own for an out of network plan, Gastro Center of Maryland will provide adequate documentation to aid in that process.
What to bring to your appointment
- Insurance Card
Adequate proof of insurance is required at all visits; be prepared to show a current insurance card at the time of check-in. If adequate proof of insurance is not established prior to the appointment, you will be financially responsible for the entire visit at the time services are rendered
- Photo ID
- Referral (As required by your insurance policy. Click here for details.)
Telemedicine visits allow you to meet with your provider from the comfort of your home. Please review the requirements and process below before scheduling.
Eligibility Requirements
To schedule a telemedicine appointment, patients must meet the following criteria:
- Must be an established patient who has been seen in-office within the last 6 months
- Must have a smartphone capable of receiving text messages and supporting video visits
- Patient forms, insurance, and identification must be up to date
- Patients must be physically located in the state of Maryland at the time of their telemedicine appointment. This is due to state licensing requirements, which require providers to be licensed in the state where the patient is located. Appointments will be canceled if the patient is not in Maryland at the time of the visit.
Scheduling Information
- Telemedicine visits are scheduled within a time window and cannot guarantee an exact call time
- If you require a specific appointment time, we recommend scheduling an in-office visit
What to Expect on the Day of Your Appointment
- A provider or clinical staff member will contact you around your scheduled time window to confirm your availability
- You will receive a secure video link via text message to join your appointment
- Video is required for telemedicine visits (phone-only calls are not billable)
- If you do not respond within 5 minutes, your appointment may be marked as canceled or a no-show
- Patients must be physically located in the state of Maryland at the time of their telemedicine appointment. This is due to state licensing requirements, which require providers to be licensed in the state where the patient is located. Appointments will be canceled if the patient is not in Maryland at the time of the visit.
What to bring to your appointment
- Insurance Card
Adequate proof of insurance is required at all visits; be prepared to show a current insurance card at the time of check-in. If adequate proof of insurance is not established prior to the appointment, you will be financially responsible for the entire visit at the time services are rendered.
Patients should alert our office to any insurance changes prior to your procedure. Failure to update your insurance information in a timely manner could result in your procedure being cancelled.
- Photo ID
- Completed last 3 pages of the procedure packet. These forms can be provided by our office upon request, or you can download them below:Download Procedure Intake PDF
Transportation Information
You cannot drive yourself after your procedure. You must arrange transportation with a family member, friend, or a medical transportation service. Please note that rideshares like Uber or Lyft, as well as taxis, cannot be used for post-procedure transportation due to medical regulations.
Your procedure will be canceled if safe transportation is not arranged. Information about medical transportation services serving the area of each facility is provided below.
Liver elastography is a painless ultrasound exam that measures the stiffness of your liver. No sedation is used, so you can drive yourself and return to your usual routine right afterward. Because this exam is scheduled differently from our other appointments, please review the details below before you call.
Scheduling your exam
- Your appointment must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance
Your insurance requires prior authorization before this exam, and that approval takes time to obtain. For this reason we are not able to offer same-day appointments or add liver elastography onto a visit at short notice.
- The exam is performed at our Columbia office, Suite 100, on Mondays and Fridays
- Plan for about 30 minutes at our office
What to bring to your appointment
- Insurance Card
Adequate proof of insurance is required at all visits; be prepared to show a current insurance card at the time of check-in.
- Photo ID
- A form of payment for the fee described below
Cost of your exam
- Insured patients: a $40 upfront fee is collected before the exam
- Self-pay patients: the cost will be no more than $130.11
Our staff will verify your coverage and review what you can expect to pay at the time you schedule, so there are no surprises on the day of your exam.
Referral Requirements
Some insurance plans require a referral to see a specialist. This includes, but is not limited to:
- United HealthCare
- Aetna HMO
- Jai Medical
- TriCare
- Veterans Affairs
Please check with your insurance provider to confirm your plan's referral requirements. If a referral is not provided at the time of your appointment, you will be responsible for the full cost of the visit.