Colonoscopy, Endoscopy & Gastroenterology: Links & Resources

These informative articles appeared in our Maine Sunday Telegram patient education insert in 2005, and were written and photographed by the Marketing Department of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram (Chris Stewart and Peter Weed, photography by Merry Farnum).

APPOINTMENTS
Our offi ce hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. When you call for an appointment, please let the receptionist know what services you need so we can make the appropriate arrangements. You can reach us at (207) 773-7964. Once we’ve scheduled your appointment, we’ll mail you a health questionnaire. Please complete and return it before your visit. Rescheduling Procedures are scheduled between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. We’ll do our best to fi nd a time that’s conve nient for you. Should you need to cancel or resched ule an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible. As a courtesy to other patients waiting to see our physicians, we ask that you notify us at least fi ve business days in advance of your appointment. We know your time is valuable Our goal is to see all patients on time. Occasionally we have to change the schedule to accommodate an emergency patient. We greatly appreciate your understanding when this situation causes an unavoidable delay. Please feel free to call us on the day of your appointment to see if any scheduling delays are anticipated.

PAYMENT POLICIES
We participate with most major insurance companies and will be glad to submit your bill directly. Any copayments due should be paid at the time of service. If you do not have insurance, you should be prepared to make payment arrangements at the time of your visit. If you have financial concerns, please let us know so we can work out a mutually acceptable payment schedule. We accept all major credit cards. As always, your health is our top priority.

Referrals and insurance coverage
Before your visit, be sure to obtain any referrals required by your insurance company. In most cases, this will involve a call to your primary care physician.
Screening colonoscopies and other procedures may or may not be covered in your insurance plan. We encourage you to verify coverage prior to receiving services. You will be responsible for any non-covered services, out-of-network fees, copayments and deductibles.If you have questions about referrals or insurance coverage, please ask our staff for assistance.

Billing
Our physicians perform procedures at Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital as well as at the Endoscopy Center, located on the second fl oor of our building. If you had your procedure done at one of these facilities, you will receive a bill directly from them. This will be in addition to the bill from your Portland Gastroenterology Center physician. You may also receive separate bills for laboratory, pathology and anesthesiology services.

All external sites will open in a new browser window. You may need to set your browser to allow pop ups. These links are provided as a courtesy. Portland Gastroenterology Center is not responsible for the availability, updating or accuracy of any information provided on these outside sites or for the privacy or security of these outside sites.