Patient Information

Telephone Calls

• All phone calls are returned as soon as possible. Please DO NOT leave a message if you are experiencing an urgent situation. See Emergencies information above at the top of this page.
• Please allow 24 hours for prescription refills to be called in to your pharmacy.
• Please allow 5 business days before calling for lab results. If you call after 4PM, it may be the next day before we are able to return your call.

Preventive Annual Exams/Problem visits

• As a commitment to your health, we recommend that every patient have a preventive “annual exam” to evaluate your overall health. Along with this examination, your provider may recommend some “screening” test(s). If these tests are not covered by your insurance company, you will be expected to pay for these services.
• We recommend that preventive services and problem issues be addressed on different appointment days.
• If preventive services and problem evaluation services are performed on the same day, you may be responsible for two co-pays or your insurance deductible.

Late Arrival Policy

Late arrivals create delays for both physicians and other patients. Late arrivals may be asked to reschedule their appointments for an alternate time. OB-GYN Associates patients who arrive late for their appointments will be processed in a manner that supports optimal care for all patients while supporting a steady workflow in the clinic. Procedure:

• Patients who arrive up to 15 minutes after their scheduled appointments will be seen.
• Patients who arrive more than 15 minutes after their scheduled appointments may be rescheduled; however, the Registration Desk will follow the process below to determine:
  • Registration Desk advises the provider’s nurse that the patient has arrived.
  • The provider’s nurse will assess the patient’s condition and determine the cause of the late arrival.
  • The provider’s nurse will decide whether the patient will be seen.
  • If the patient is not to be seen, the Registration desk will advise the patient and the patient will be rescheduled.
  • If the patient is to be seen, the Registration desk will advise the patient that they will be seen after the patients who arrived on time have been seen.
• If a patient calls to report they are running late; the guidelines above will still apply.

Insurance Information

• It is very important that you provide OB/GYN Associates of Cookeville with current, up to date insurance information for each visit. Please have your insurance card(s) available and your coverage and/or termination dates. Inform us immediately of any changes in your coverage.
• We participate with most insurance carriers. A claim will automatically be filed to your insurance company for services done by our providers.
• It is impossible for us to be familiar with every insurance plan contract. We recommend that you contact your insurance carrier to determine your own coverage and to be informed and aware of your own benefits.
• Co-pays are collected on the date of service for all patients whose insurance requires co-pay. Payments may be made by cash, check, debit card or credit card.
• Federal laws require that we submit every claim to the insurance company accurately, reporting the exact services performed and the exact reason for performing them. We are unable to change this information just so the claim may be paid by your insurance company. In cases where the service has not been paid, you will be personally responsible for the bill.

Financial Arrangements

• Please feel free to call our business office (931-646-1910) to discuss any necessary financial arrangements.
• We accept cash, check, debit card, credit card and/or Care Credit.

Policy Regarding Medication Refills or Prescribing Medications After Hours

OB/GYN Associates of Cookeville maintains a policy of not prescribing medications over the phone after regular hours. We also do not make a habit of diagnosing and treating illnesses by phone consultation only. It is our policy to provide thorough medical care based upon accurate diagnosis, therefore to reduce the opportunity for errors; we will adopt the following policy.

• Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm; we encourage our patients with problems to call during these times. Patients with medical problems requiring examination for accurate diagnosis may be asked to come into the office even if the problem is of a chronic or recurrent nature.
• Times other than routine office hours, on weekends and holidays, we will not be able to provide new prescriptions and/or prescription refills. For acute obstetric and/or gynecologic medical problems we encourage you to call us after hours to discuss your problems; however, you may be asked to be evaluated at the emergency room if over-the-counter remedies have been unsuccessful and a prescription medication is needed.
• All non-urgent problems need to be addressed during regular office hours.

We feel these policies will help ensure we reach our goal of providing the highest quality of care for each of our patients.