Our Policies

Office Policies

Below you will find information that may be helpful regarding your care with our office. This information will assist you in your first appointment at the office and for future visits. Any questions may be asked of the office staff either at the time of your visit or any other time. It is our goal to maintain the timeliness of our patient’s appointments, we appreciate your understanding if your appointment is delayed because of the nature of our practice or the potential for emergencies.

New Patient Appointments

New patient appointment requests may be made by the patient, family members or the patient’s treating physician. Appointments can be made by calling the office during regular business hours. Office hours are listed on the contact page of this website.

After an appointment has been scheduled, new patients should download a new patient packet.  These forms will need to be filled out prior to your visit to allow for the schedule to run on time.  If you are unable to download these forms, please ask the staff to either mail, e-mail or fax you these forms. You may also use the Patient Portal to enter most of this information directly into your electronic medical record securely. Please ask the office staff to web enable you.

Your First Visit

• Arrive 15 minutes early to complete paperwork
• Please bring referral if your insurance requires or arrange for referring doctor to send
• Please bring available records, actual x-rays, MRI’s or other imaging scans on CD.  Reports of imaging are not adequate for thorough evaluation.
• Bring insurance card and photo identification. Without either of these, the appointment will have to be rescheduled. There will be no exceptions.
• Review the Notice of Privacy Practices
• Co-pay, Co-insurance, and/or Deductible payment will be due at time of visit.  There will be no exceptions to this policy.
• Please wear a tank top if you have neck, shoulder, or arm symptoms and shorts if you have back or leg symptoms.
• Please visit our patient portal

Missed Appointment/Cancellation Policy

The office will require 24 hours notice for rescheduling appointments and cancellations.  Missed appointments and cancelled appointments without sufficient notice will be subject to a $50 fee. Please note that insurance companies will not reimburse for these fees; patients will be responsible for payment. Future appointments will not be made until this balance is satisfied. Patients who miss or fail to cancel multiple appointments (3) in a 12 month period will be discharged from the practice due to non-compliance of treatment.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Prescription Policy

• Pain medication will be prescribed for a limited time as part of surgical care. Ongoing pain medications will need to be taken care of by a pain management service or primary care physician. Dr. Garden is NOT a pain management physician.
• Dr. Garden must be notified of all current pain medications and any other prescribing physicians.
• Call the office if you feel you are having any problems taking the medications or reactions.
• DO NOT increase the amount of prescribed medication on your own without a physician’s permission. Self prescribing medication or increasing the amount of medication taken will be grounds for dismissal from the practice.
• Medications are refilled Monday through Thursday during business hours (8:30am-4:30pm) and until 12:00 pm on Fridays.
• Medications will not be refilled on evenings or weekends.  DO NOT call at the end of the business day and expect a refill for that day.  Please allow 48 hours for refill requests to be processed.
• Many pain medicines contain Tylenol (acetaminophen). It is recommended that no more than 3000 mg of acetaminophen in 24 hours. Liver damage can occur when these amounts are exceeded. Tylenol may also be found in other over the counter medications such as cough and cold medications.
• Never mix any prescription medication with alcohol.
• Do not drive a motorized vehicle while taking prescription medications as they may cause drowsiness.
• Pain medication can be very constipating.  To avoid this, eat a well balanced diet including fresh fruit, raw vegetables and other fiber rich foods. Drink 6-8 large glasses of water per day. Stool softeners are also recommended.

Payment Policy

All self-pay patients are required to pay in full at the time of service. All co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles must be paid at time of service. Once we receive the Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company, you will be billed for any balance that you owe. This amount is due in 30 days.

Accounts that are repeatedly ignored will be referred either to a collection agency or an attorney and you will be financially responsible for your outstanding balance and all legal fees involved. Should this occur, you or your family member will be dismissed from the practice and it will be your responsibility to find another physician to take over your care.

If a check is returned for insufficient funds, you will be charged $15.00 in addition to the amount of the check.  All future payments will need to be made in cash or credit card from there on.

If you wish to suspend or terminate your treatment, any fees including reasonable fees as allowed by public health law for copying of medical records will be immediately due and payable.

If you need to establish a payment plan, please contact our billing department prior to your scheduled appointment.

Surgical patients may be asked for a deposit prior to your planned procedure. Our billing department will reach out to you prior to your scheduled procedure to discuss your insurance benefits and patient responsibility. 

Any portion of your bill that is not covered by your insurance carrier becomes your personal responsibility. Litchfield County Orthopedic and Spine, P.C. will bill individuals on a monthly basis and personal balances are due upon receipt of the statement. Payment terms may be arranged through our billing department.

Release of Medical Information

A release waiver will need to be signed if you wish to have your records sent to another physician, insurance company or attorney.  Fees may apply under certain circumstances.