Office Policies

The following is up-to-date information regarding practice operations, policies, and procedures. Click on a topic below to see more information.

We welcome the opportunity to better serve you. If you have a question about office policies that has not been addressed here, please contact us at [email protected] or call our office.

Office Hours

Office hours vary based on operating room schedules, emergencies, and office locations.

Inclement Weather / Office Closings

In case of office closings, our phone system will have a closing message, and our Facebook page will have up-to-date postings as well. This may not be possible in case of electric outages, but Long Island Spine Specialists will do their best to keep patients informed.

Appointments

To schedule an initial consultation or routine office visit, call (631) 498-5632 press 4 or email [email protected]. When using email, please include dates and times that work for you, as well as your name and telephone number, so we can get back to you quickly.

Emergencies

Our surgeons are available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are in an emergency situation that cannot wait until normal business hours, you can notify our service after 5PM or on weekends and the physician on call will be contacted, or you can go to your local emergency room.

Initial Consultation

Please make sure to bring your insurance card(s) in addition to any Workers Compensation case or No Fault carrier/accident information to your first visit. You can save time by downloading our New Patient forms and filling them out prior to your arrival. (Download forms)

Referral Policy

If your insurance plan requires a referral, it is your responsibility to call your primary care physician prior to your visit to make sure that you have a referral on file (either paper or electronically). Please be advised that some insurance companies take up to 48 hours to obtain a referral. A referral is essential for claim processing and eliminates the possibility of you, the patient, receiving a bill.

Prescription Refills

Please be advised that refills require 48 hours' notice and can only be generated during business hours (no weekends.) Pain medications can not be prescribed if you have not had an office visit within the past 90 days. Refill requests can be called in at [phone or using the patient portal. If your refill has been approved, you will be notified that it has been prescribed to your pharmacy.

Disability Forms

Disability forms require one week for processing and may require a fee for completion. If you have not had an office visit within the past 60 days, you will need to make an appointment to review the status of your disability.

Confidentiality: Medical Records

All medical records are confidential. If you need to obtain copies of your medical records, a release is necessary (download now). The medical records department requires at least five business days to process requests and there is a fee associated with copying records. Long Island Spine Specialists maintains compliance with HIPAA regulations regarding confidentiality and has an Identity Theft Compliance Plan. You can also get a free copy of your records thru the patient portal. X-Ray copies are $10.00 per CD and require five business days for processing. Copies are picked up at the medical records desk which is located in the waiting room at our Commack location.

Please call the Medical Records Department at (631) 498-5632 x238 to obtain an x-ray CD, request records, discuss the fees or any issues you have concerning your records. If you have downloaded the release form, you can fax it to 631-462-2240 when it has been completed.

No-Show and Cancellation Policy

We schedule our appointments so that each patient receives the right amount of time to be seen by our physicians and staff. This is why it is very important that you keep your scheduled appointment with us and arrive on time. As a courtesy, and to help patients remember their scheduled appointments, Long Island Spine Specialists, P.C. sends a text message and/or calls 2 days in advance of the appointment time.

If your schedule changes and you cannot keep your appointment, please contact us so we may reschedule you and accommodate those patients who are waiting for an appointment. As a courtesy to our office as well as to those patients who are waiting to schedule with our physicians, please give us at least 24 hours’ notice.

If you do not cancel or reschedule your appointment with at least 24 hours’ notice, we may assess a $50.00 “No-Show” – Service Charge to your account.

This “No-Show” – Service Charge is not reimbursable by your insurance company. You will be billed directly for it.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Practice Policy Update Regarding COVID-19

Dear Patients:

Our patients, employees and family are our top priority at Long Island Spine Specialists, P.C.

We ask you to not visit any of our locations if you have symptoms such as fever, sneezing, coughing and possible shortness of breath.

Please cancel your appointment and re-schedule once you are feeling better and are no longer suffering with symptoms.

Only non-symptomatic patients will be seen. No exceptions.

Accompanying family members – including children – are asked to remain in the waiting area and will not be allowed to enter the exam rooms.

During this time of high concern regarding the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) we are taking extra precautions to maintain the highest possible standards of safety and cleanliness. Please be advised that we are carefully following recommendations from both the CDC and WHO and are here to help guide you through this time if needed.

Some steps we are taking to keeping safe:

We know how important cleanliness is and always maintain the highest standards of cleanliness. To further offer you peace of mind, we have increased the frequency of the cleaning of our office.

Rest assured that hand washing is strictly followed. Hand sanitizer is available to all staff and patients.

Additionally, if you have recently traveled to a country with high rates of the coronavirus or have been on a cruise, please reschedule your visit for at least 14 days from your return date. We will gladly accommodate your needs to reschedule. At that time, a telehealth interface can be arranged if necessary.

Find up-to-date and accurate information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website and feel free to reach out with questions.

- Your team at Long Island Spine Specialists, P.C.

Schedule a Consultation

To learn more about Long Island Spine Specialists – and to discover how we can relieve your pain and help you find an improved quality of life – please contact our office today and schedule a consultation.