Adult Surgery Information

Thank you for choosing a Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, P.A. doctor for your surgery needs.

Our surgery centers respect your privacy and will follow HIPAA guidelines.

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, P.A. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or disability; in admission of access to, treatment in, or employment in, its programs and activities.

PRE-SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS

1. No solid food after 10 p.m. the night before surgery.

2. Patients may not have clear liquids after midnight the night before surgery unless otherwise advised by the facility.

3. No alcoholic beverages the day before or the day of your procedure.

4. Patients are to take all usual medications with one sip of water on the morning of surgery for:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Heart problems
• Hypothyroidism (thyroid problems)
• Seizure problems
• Lung problems
• Acid reflux
• Parkinson’s disease
• Diabetes: no oral diabetes medication – if on insulin, take half a dose of the usual morning insulin. If on an insulin pump, the patient should continue the pump on the basal (overnight) rate and bring an extra skin-insertion patch. These patients should be scheduled as early in the day as possible and should check their blood sugar at home prior to arrival.

5. Anticoagulants/Antiplatelet drugs – you will receive specific instructions from your surgeon regarding these drugs. Also, patients who are on antiplatelet drugs and have Intracoronary Stents in place MUST have a cardiology consultation regarding the management of their antiplatelet/anticoagulant medications PRIOR TO the surgery (if they are going to receive general anesthesia for their surgery).

6. In addition, patients are not to take the following on the day of surgery:

• Diuretics (water pills)
• Oral diabetic medications you take as a pill.

Aspirin and aspirin-related products should not be taken ten days before and one week after surgery, unless you are directed otherwise by your doctor or surgeon, because they increase the tendency for bleeding. If you take a blood-thinning medication (aspirin, its derivatives or prescribed blood-thinning medications) by doctor’s order, make sure you tell your CEENTA provider so that he or she can get clearance from that physician (i.e. your cardiologist) before this time frame so that surgery does not have to be postponed. For this reason, it is very important that contents on any over-the-counter preparations be checked carefully prior to their use.

Many headache preparations, cold remedies, etc. contain aspirin. The chemical name of aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid. Examples of drugs that cannot be taken that contain salicylates are as follows:

• Acetidine
• Alka-Seltzer
• Anacin
• Anahist
• Ascriptin
• Aspirin
• Bayer
• BC
• Bromo Quinine
• Bromo-Seltzer
• Bufferin
• Coricidin
• Darvon Compound
• Dristan
• Easprin
• Ecotrin
• Empirin Compound
• Equagesic
• Excedrin
• Fiorinal
• 4-way cold tablet
• Midol
• Pepto Bismol
• Percodan

Examples of aspirin-related products that cannot be taken (ibuprofen, indomethacin, Naproxen, Tolmetin) are as follows:

• Advil
• Anaprox
• Ansaid
• Clinoril
• Motrin
• Feldene
• Indocin
• Meclomen
• Medipren
• Midol
• Dolobid
• Nuprin
• Rufen
• Tolectin
• Voltaren
• Co-Advil
• Naprosyn (Naproxen)

Please check with your pharmacist if you are not sure if the medicine you are taking contains aspirin.

Fish oil is also a medication that should be stopped for one week before and after surgery.

Tylenol is an acceptable drug to take.

Day of Surgery Checklist

You will be contacted 1-3 days prior to surgery with your time of arrival and scheduled surgery time.

• Arrange for someone to take you home from the Surgery Center. Your ride MAY be present at the time of registration and MUST STAY at the Surgery Center during your surgery.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Please wear a button-up shirt or blouse.
• Remove all makeup and jewelry before coming to the Surgery Center.
• Please bring your government-issued picture ID and all health insurance cards.

PATIENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PATIENT RIGHTS

Decision Making

You and your representative have the right to:

• Receive complete information, to the extent known by the physician, regarding your current health status (diagnosis, treatment and prognosis) in terms you can understand.
• Participate in care-planning treatment and discharge recommendations.
• Receive an explanation of the proposed procedure or treatment, including risks, serious side effects and treatment alternatives.
• Make informed decisions regarding care and treatment.
• Participate in managing your pain effectively.
• Request a specific treatment.
• Refuse or discontinue a treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the consequences of such a refusal.
• Request a second opinion.
• Have persons of your choice and your physicians promptly notified of admission.
• Make advance directives (such as a living will, healthcare power of attorney, CPR directive, mental health treatment, etc.) and to have those directives followed to the extent permitted by law.
• Accept, refuse or withdraw from clinical research.
• Choose or change your healthcare provider.
• Receive care and/or a referral according to the urgency of your situation. When medically stable, you may be transferred to another facility after the need has been fully explained.
• Effective communication.
• Respect for your cultural and personal values, beliefs, and preferences.

Quality of Care

You have the right to:

• Respectful care given by competent workers who recognize and maintain your dignity and values.
• Care in a safe setting.
• Identification of all healthcare providers.
• Know who is primarily responsible for your care.
• Information about continuing healthcare requirements following discharge.
• Be informed about your treatment or procedure and the expected outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes before it is performed.
• Care without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, age, or national origin.
• Refuse any drugs, treatment or procedures, to the extent permitted by law, after hearing the medical consequences of refusing the drug, treatment or procedure.
• Be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.

Confidentiality and Privacy

You have the right to:

• Personal Privacy.
• Personal information being shared only with those who are involved in your care.
• Confidentiality of your medical and billing records.

Grievance Process

You and your representative have the right to:

• Contact CEENTA 704-295-3000 to file a formal grievance.

Access to Medical Records

You have the right to:

• Review and receive a copy of your Medical Record at any time.

Seclusion and Restraints

You have the right to:

• Be free of any sort of restraint unless medically necessary.
• Be free from seclusion or restraint for behavioral management unless there is a need to protect your physical safety or the safety of others.

Billing

You have the right to:

• A complete explanation of your bill.

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Providing Information

You have the responsibility to:

• Provide accurate and complete information about your present medical complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other health-related matters.
• Report perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your condition.
• Understand your treatment plan and ask questions when needed.
• Provide accurate and updated information for insurance and billing.

Involvement

You have the responsibility to:

• Actively participate in your treatment by following your recommended treatment plan.

Respect and Consideration

You have the responsibility to:

• Act in a respectful and considerate manner toward healthcare providers, other patients, and visitors. Physical or verbal threats are not tolerated.
• Respect the property of others.
• Be mindful of noise levels.

Insurance Billing

You have the responsibility to:

• Know the extent of your insurance coverage.
• Know your insurance requirements such as pre-authorization, deductibles and co-payments.
• Fulfill your financial obligations as promptly as possible.

INSURANCE AND BILLING INFORMATION

We understand that having a surgical procedure can be a stressful event with many considerations to make and questions about the billing and payment for services. The following information will hopefully answer some of these questions for you. Please do not hesitate to call our Business Office should you have any further questions.

INSURANCE INFORMATION

We know that healthcare insurance can be confusing. Please take a brief moment to review this page to help you understand some key points about your insurance as it relates to your procedure at the Surgery Center.

• Payment of co-pays, coinsurance and any deductible (a description of each is as follows) are due approximately three days prior to your procedure. A representative from CEENTA can take your payment over the phone, in person, or assist you with setting up credit options through Care Credit.

1. Co-Pay – a form of medical cost sharing in a health insurance plan that requires an insured person to pay a fixed dollar amount when a medical service is received. The insurer is responsible for the rest of the reimbursement. There may be separate co-payments for different services. Some plans require that a deductible first be met for some specific services before a co-payment applies.
2. Deductible – a fixed dollar amount during the benefit period (usually a year) that an insured person pays before the insurer starts to make payments for covered medical services. Plans may have both individual and family deductibles. Some plans may have separate deductibles for specific services. For example, a plan may have a hospitalization deductible per admission. Deductibles may differ if services are received from an approved provider or if received from providers not on the approved list.
3. Coinsurance – the amount due by the patient after the insurance has paid and applied all deductibles and co-pays. This is the amount that is usually described as “Patient Responsibility” or “Member responsibility” on the Explanation of Benefits. It is usually a percentage of the allowed amount covered by your insurance (i.e. 80/20; 70/30; 90/10). We will do our best to determine your coinsurance in advance based on the information received by your physician’s office at the time of scheduling.

• It is important to know that this is only an estimate. Sometimes the surgeon needs to do more or maybe even less during the procedure than what is originally scheduled. These changes may affect your final financial responsibility to CEENTA. Once the claim has been processed by your insurance, you may receive a bill for the balance due or a refund if you have overpaid us.

BILLING INFORMATION

Because there are several healthcare practitioners who are providing a service to you, there will be separate bills generated from each of these providers; therefore, you can plan to expect bills from multiple providers for one procedure at the Surgery Center.

• One bill is from the Surgery Center, which is the facility fee.
• Your physician’s bill will be from Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, P.A.
• One bill will be from your anesthesiologist.
• You will also receive a bill for your Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or CRNA.
• If pathology is necessary, you will also receive a separate bill from the pathologist.

Ultimately, you are responsible for the charges associated with your procedure.

Please call us at 704-295-3000 if you have any questions. Thank you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Why don’t you give me the time of my surgery the same day you book the surgery?

A. Since we book appointments so far in advance, we want to confirm the time with the physician and the facility before giving you an exact time.

Q. How much will the surgery cost?

A. A CEENTA representative will contact you prior to your procedure to give you an estimate of cost. If you do not hear from them, it is because we don’t expect for you to have a patient portion.

We highly encourage you to contact your insurance provider to determine your benefits for outpatient surgery.

Q. When is my money due?

A. Approximately five days prior to surgery all co-pays, coinsurance and any deductible are due and can be paid at 704-295-3000.

Q. Why do I get so many bills?

A. There are multiple healthcare providers and systems delivering your care, and you will get a bill from each of them.