FAQs

Call our office at (440) 808-1212 or you can request an appointment using our online form and one of our schedulers will get in touch with you to schedule your visit. Please be prepared to share your full name, Social Security number, and birth date with our schedulers.

If you are a new patient, please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete registration. You can also download and complete patient forms ahead of time to save time in the office.If you are coming for a procedure, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time.

Bring your insurance card, driver’s license (for identity purposes) and co-payment. If you have had tests performed that will be helpful in your treatment, please advise your doctor’s office to forward them to us or you may bring a copy with you to your appointment.

If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify our office at (440) 808-1212 as soon as possible, and we will be happy to reschedule. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice will be subject to a cancellation fee.

We request that you contact your pharmacy for prescription refills. If you have no refills remaining, please call our office at (440) 808-1212. You can also request refills through the patient portal.

If you have not been seen in more than a year, you may be required to come into the office for an appointment. If your insurance company requires pre-authorization for your prescription, it will take one week to complete the documentation they require.

We require that you be seen by your physician or advanced practioner once a year for any prescription refills so we can re-evaluate your health status. We may also determine if there is a new medication that would better suit your needs.

Yes, we bill your insurance within a few days of providing the service to you.

Our billing department will determine your part of the cost after they receive payment from your insurance company. You can call your insurance company to ask them to explain your benefit program.

Various insurance programs require referrals for visits to the specialist and for diagnostic tests. Please check with your insurance company to determine the need for a referral.

Three groups are involved in your endoscopy care:

• North Shore Gastroenterology, Inc.: This bill is for the physician’s services and for any pathology done on any biopsies
• North Shore Anesthesia: This bill is for the certified registered nurse anesthetist who administered sedation for your procedure.
• North Shore Endoscopy Center: This is the charge for use of the facility or location where the procedure was performed.

It takes 10 – 14 days to receive results back from the lab and for the physician to review them.

A member of our physician group is on-call 24 hours per day. Please call our office and our answering service will take your information and contact the physician to return your call.

In an emergency situation, please call 911 or go directly to the nearest hospital ER.

Please allow 1 1/2 hours for a colonoscopy or EGD. If you are having both procedures, it will take about 2 hours. Capsule endoscopy requires 2 visits and takes about 30 minutes each.

Patients who have had endoscopy procedures are recovering from anesthesia and are asked not to drive and not to make any major decisions. The patient is required to be accompanied by a responsible adult. A taxi driver cannot be relied upon to accompany the patient to the home and make sure the patient arrives safely.

Your physician’s secretary will help you with any questions about your prep. Please refer to the information given to you when your procedure was scheduled or call the secretary. You can also see general pre-op instructions here.