Beacon Medical Group  has been caring for the people of Sussex County for over 10 years now.  To learn about our providers please see the Staff section.  Below you will find information about how our practice operates:

• How do I make an appointment?
• What do I do or bring in for my first appointment or for a Physical?
• Insurance Changes?
• Bring in your medications and Insurance Formularies with you to every visit.
• How do I refill my regular medications?
• Is there an appropriate dress for visits?
• Anything else I should bring to a visit?
• What do I do if I have forms to be filled out?
• What if I am a minor (Under 18)?
• What should I do if I am running late for my appointment?
• What happens if I miss my appointment?
• Who do I contact for billing questions?
• What is your financial policy?
• How do I get a copy of your Notice of Privacy Practice?
• How do I get my records sent to you or from you?

Appointments:

  All patients who have registered with the web site by completing Create An Account can simply click on Appointment Request and make an appointment.  We encourage you to make your follow up appointments as you are leaving the office.  Each day we hold appointments for the acutely ill patients so that our established patients can get seen the same or next day for acute problems.  Surgeries, physicals, and Well Child Checks take longer so make these appointments early. 

What do I need to do to prepare for an appointment?       

New Patients, Physicals, or Insurance changes:

In our ever changing profession, insurance and government regulations are taking up more and more of our and your time.  To make things easier we have given our patients many ways to make their visit with us easier and less of a hassle.  

• New patients:  Click the Create An Account button on the home page and complete the information.  BOTH the user name and password are case sensitive.  Your registration information and Health History forms you fill out on line can be printed off and brought into your first visit, elevating all the time filling out forms.  Similar forms are on the front page at the bottom and can be filled out by hand if needed.  Creating an account will also allow e-mail contact with the office through our secure server.
• Bring in your correct Insurance card and drivers license to EACH and EVERY visit.  This is very important!  Without them it can take 30 extra minutes per patient to verify your coverage. 
• Arrive ahead of your appointment time!  New patients take 30 min just to verify insurance.  If you did not fill out the online registration & health history then that will take about 30 min as well. 
• Patients having a physical exam need to arrive 20 minutes early to allow for enough time to fill out the physical paper work and for the nursing assessment to get completed.   

*Remember:  patients registered on the web site that are coming in for their first appointment may go to Pre-registration and fill out the Health History forms on-line, print them out and bring in to the office.

If your insurance has changed we will need enough time to call your carrier and confirm your co-pay, deductible and so on.  Please contact our billing manager at 945-9500 if you have any questions about how we handle your insurance BEFORE you make (or have) your appointments.

Medication  (What to bring and how to get refills):

**Please make sure you either, bring all your medications to each appointment, or an ACCURATE list of medications including dosages and how often you take them.  Please include all vitamins and over the counter medications. 

 

**Please bring in you insurance FORMULARY so if the doctor needs to change or give you a new medication they will be able to give you the least expensive alternative available.  We do not keep formularies here as they often change so bring them in to each visit.

 

To get REFILLS all you need to do is contact your Pharmacy (local or mail order) and let them know you are running out.  They will fax us a renewal and we will sign it and fax back to them with in 3 business days.  Registered users can also go to Ask a Nurse and ask them for needed prescriptions.  Please remember to give us the name, dosage, quantity, and number of refills needed for each medication.

 

Appropriate Dress:

Please remember that it is always helpful to be appropriately dressed for your exam.  When there is a problem with your legs make sure that you wear clothing that will make it possible for your provider to easily examine your legs.  The same is true for a physical or shoulder exam.  If you wear glasses please bring them.  We may need to do a vision exam.  Infants will be naked during their exams so please bring a blanket to wrap your child while awaiting the providers.

 

What else do I need to bring to each visit?

Please bring a valid photo ID like a drivers license and your most recent valid Insurance Card to every visit. 

 

If we are on par with your insurance and have a contract with that carrier, then we must follow the rules in that contract.  This means that we are required to collect the co-pay and any co-insurance at the time of service (we take check, cash and credit card). 

 

If we do not participate in your insurance plan, you are required to pay for the service at the time of the visit. 

 

Do you need any forms filled out?:

If you have any forms to be completed by our providers, PLEASE check the form thoroughly and fill out and sign all parts you are supposed to.  Please make the front desk and nurse aware of what you need.  Most forms will be completed at the time of the office visit but some can take up to 5 business days to complete.  We do charge to fill out some forms as well.  Our receptionist can let you know of possible charges. 

 

Referrals:

We require 5 business days to complete referrals.  In order to make a referral you will need to give us the date of your appointment and that physician''s information including phone number and specialty.  Many Insurance companies require that your primary physician needs to see you for a problem before getting a referral.  Therefore, we may ask that you get seen here for a problem before getting referred out. 

 

Minors:

Children and teenagers under 18 MUST be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian or have a note written, SIGNED, and DATED by their parent or legal guardian in order to be seen.  Please understand that a minor coming in accompanied by their grandparent, sibling, or aunt/uncle without the note cannot be seen.

Late Arrivals:

Please show up for your appointment on time.  Please call ahead if you are going to be late for your appointment, as we will try to reschedule you for the same day.  Anyone more than 5 minutes late may lose their scheduled appointment but may be seen as a "fit-in".  All "fit-ins" should expect to wait before being seen.  Regular scheduled appointments have priority.

Missed Appointments:

We do require patients to give us 24 hours notice if you are not going to keep your appointment.  If you miss your appointment without giving 24 hours notice and we are unable to fill your time slot, there will be a charge that must be paid BEFORE you can schedule another appointment.  This charge cannot be submitted to your insurance company ... it is your responsibility.  If there are any special circumstances, please contact the Office Manager at 947-9767. 

Billing Questions:

Please contact our Billing Manager at 945-9500 for any questions about your bill.  Please remember we can only go on what information you have given us and what your insurance company says based on that information.  We have set up an on-line resource for you to pay your bills.  Please check out our Bill Pay option.  It is safe and secure!

Financial Policy:      

1. All payments are due at the time of service.  This includes Co-Pays and Co-Insurance.  We may also let you know about a balance due from a previous visit.  We accept cash, check, Visa and Master-Card.
2. Keep in mind that your insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company.  Often they require you to pay for certain items at time of service. 
3. We have made prior arrangements with many insurance companies and health plans to accept an assignment of benefits.  We will only bill these plans for you.  You are required to pay your copay and any amount due BEFORE you are seen and any co-insurance and deductible at the time you check out.
4. If you are insured by a plan that we do NOT participate with, you must pay for your charges at the time of service.  We will provide you with a statement that you can submit directly to your insurance carrier and they will send any reimbursement directly to you.
5. Not all insurance plans cover all services (i.e. physical exams, some blood work, etc.).  In the event your insurance plan determines a service is "not covered", you will be responsible for the charge.  Payment is due upon receipt of a statement from our office (written or verbal).
6. We will bill your insurance company for all services provided in the hospital, nursing home, or any facility our providers cover.  Your are responsible for any balance due.

Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP):

Please check our Patient Privacy page and review our NPP and make sure you understand all your rights.  Please let us know if you have any questions and call our Office Manager at 947-9767 if needed.

Release of Medical information:

To get records sent to us please print off the Records Release form on the Home page towards the bottom.  Please put your name and the name of the Doctor or facility you want to get the records FROM (Our name is already on there).  Don''t forget to sign the paper before you send it.

 

In order to have your records sent to other physicians, we require your written authorization.  There will be no fee for records that Beacon Medical Group faxes to other physicians or situations covered by Delaware Law. 

 

An administrative fee will be charged for any records copied or printed and given to the patient.  These records must be requested with at least two (2) weeks advance notice.

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Contact Us

 

Office Hours for Millsboro Site and Family Practice:

• Monday 8:00am to 4:30pm.
• Tuesday 8:00am to 4:30pm
• Wednesday 8:00am to 5:30pm
• Thursday 8:00am to 3:30pm
• Friday 8:00am to 3:30pm

Office Hours for Rehoboth Site and Pediatrics:

• Monday 8:30am to 4:30pm.
• Tuesday 8:30am to 5:30pm
• Wednesday 8:30am to 4:00pm
• Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
• Friday 7:45am to 3:30pm

 

Phone numbers:

• EMERGENCY:  Please Call 911
• Family Practice Main Phone #:  947-9767  For appointments or to speak to the staff, doctor or office manager.
• Pediatrics Main Phone #: 645-8212  For appointments or to speak to the staff, doctor or office manager.
• Prescriptions:  Call your pharmacy and ask them to FAX us a refill request to 947-9558 (Family Practice) or to 645-2199 (Pediatrics).  If you need to mail in a prescription then go to "Ask-A-Nurse" up top and request a refill or call our main number and leave a message for one of the nurses (Please give us 3-5 working days to call, Fax, or mail in any prescriptions).
• AFTER HOURS:  Please save all NON-EMERGENCIES for regular office hours.  Patients please call our main numbers if you need to reach the physician on call. 

Caller ID:  If you have this feature you MUST dial *87 to turn off the call block part of "Caller ID" and then hang up or the physician on call will not be able to reach you.  After you have finished with the doctor you press *77 to turn it back on.  The doctor will always block his phone number and most Caller ID's are set up not to accept those calls.  *87 will turn that feature off and *77 will turn it back on!