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Frequently Asked Questions |
What are the clinic hours?
The UND Center for Family Medicine is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Call us locally to make an appointment at 751-9500 or toll-free at 1-866-870-0464.
Where is the clinic located?
The UND Center for Family Medicine is located at 515 East Broadway Avenue (located in the Parkade Building in downtown Bismarck).
Our Clinic & Administrative offices neighbor White Drug, which is also located on the ground level of the Parkade Building. We are directly south of the City/County Office Building and Kokkeler’s Jewelry and to the east of the historic Peacock Alley Bar & Grill. The Radisson Hotel is located directly east of the Parkade Building (where we are housed) and is connected to the Parkade via a skywalk.
Patient Parking is FREE in the Parking Ramp and all Bismarck Park & Shop locations. The entrance to the Parking Ramp for the Parkade Building is south of the Redwing Shoe Store on 6th Street.
How soon can I get an appointment?
When you need to go to the doctor, you don't want to wait. At the UND Center for Family Medicine, we can usually get you in on the same day and sometimes right away.
Walk-in patients are always welcome without an appointment. You will be worked in among other patients that have scheduled appointments so it may be a few minutes before you are seen.
When visiting the UND Center for Family Medicine for the first time, we ask that you arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment to fill out some paper work. Please bring your insurance card and be prepared to answer some brief health history questions. If you prefer, you are welcome to fill out the Pre-Registration Form & Health History Questionnaire prior to your visit (located under Patient Section of our web-site).
Do you have an After-Hours clinic?
A UND Center for Family Medicine physician is on call 24 hours a day. During the hours when the center is closed, please call 751-9500 for the physician on-call. Direct your emergency calls to Medcenter One (323-6000) or St. Alexius Medical Center (530-7000) and ask for the UND Center for Family Medicine physician on-call.
How can I make payments on my account and what methods of payment are accepted?
Payment is expected at the time of service unless arrangements are made with the patient accounts representative, or insurance coverage is available. Methods of payment include: cash, check, or credit card (Mastercard, Visa, and Discover are accepted). The UND Center for Family Medicine is currently researching the possibility of offering a secure on-line payment option for our patients’ convenience.
We accept assignments of insurance benefits and will prepare and file insurance claims at no charge to you. Please present your insurance identification card at each visit to certify coverage. Medicare and Medicaid assignments are accepted.
To help keep costs down, we ask that you pay for services not covered by insurance at the time of your visit. The front desk will collect co-pays at the time of service. When this is not possible, patients are encouraged to discuss their account with the Business Office to make arrangements for payment. Call 751-9505 regarding any health insurance and/or billing questions.
New patients with no insurance are expected to pay $25.00 up-front and a payment arrangement can be made with the Business Office after they have seen the physician. When calling to book an appointment, our receptionists will ask that patients with an old, outstanding balance make payment on their account before they are scheduled to be seen by the physician.
The UND Center for Family Medicine participates and accepts assignment for North Dakota Blue Cross/Blue Shield Insurance Products through Medcenter One and St. Alexius Medical Center including: PPO, EPO, Select Choice through Medcenter One and St. Alexius, Care Choice, Blue Choice, North Dakota Medicare and Medicaid, and all other major commercial insurance carriers.
Is the UND Center for Family Medicine a “free clinic”?
No, we are not a free clinic, nor are we classified as a Community Health Center. Our fees generally reflect the fees of family physicians within our community. Our fees for services are an agreement between you and the UND Center for Family Medicine. Health insurance is a third party to this agreement. Regardless of the action of your insurance company, payment of fees for service is your responsibility.
Community Health Centers provide health care regardless of your ability to pay and even if you have no health insurance. Health Centers refer to all the diverse public and non-profit organizations and programs that receive federal funding under section 330 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Health Centers Consolidated Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-299) and the Safety Net Amendments of 2002. They include
Community
Health Centers,
Migrant
Health Centers,
Health
Care for the Homeless Health Centers, and
Primary Care Public Housing Health Centers
Health centers are characterized by five essential elements that differentiate them from other providers:
They must be located in or serve a high need community, i.e. “medically underserved areas” or “medically underserved populations”;
They must provide comprehensive primary care services as well as supportive services such as translation and transportation services that promote access to health care;
Their services must be available to all residents of their service areas, with fees adjusted upon patients’ ability to pay;
They must be governed by a community board with a majority of members health center patients; and,
They must meet other performance and accountability requirements regarding their administrative, clinical, and financial operations.
When calling for an appointment, why are the same physicians not in clinic everyday?
Your physician is a member of a team. Should your regular family physician happen to not be in, arrangements will be made for you to be seen by another team physician. Because nurses are also assigned to the team, the team nurse will be able to assist you in meeting your health care needs. Our front desk receptionist/schedulers and nursing staff have access to the physician schedules and are well versed on availability of appointments.
Our physician teams are comprised of both faculty & residents, and nursing staff. Faculty have a specific time commitment required to provide direct patient care. In addition to this, faculty members are required to participate in didactic and clinical teaching/supervision of the residents.
Family medicine residency programs provide the opportunity for the residents to learn in multiple settings (e.g. hospital, ambulatory settings, emergency rooms, home and long-term care facilities), those skills and procedures that are within the scope of family medicine. Thereby, residents are scheduled for specific rotations in addition to their scheduled time in clinic. These curricular areas include: Adult Medicine; Women’s Health; Inpatient; Intensive Care; the Older Patient; Care of Neonates; Infants, Children and Adolescents; Maternity & Gynecologic Care; Care of the Surgical Patient; Musculoskeletal & Sports Medicine; Emergency Care; Human Behavior & Mental Health; Community Medicine; Care of the Skin; Diagnostic Imaging & Nuclear Medicine; Conferences; Management of Health Systems; Electives; Documentation of Procedures & Diagnoses; and Scholarly Activity.
Why does another physician’s name (other than the physician I saw in
the clinic) appear on my billing statement or Explanation of Benefits (EOB)?
Because we are a Residency Program, there are operational guidelines that apply to our business practices. Our Resident Physicians (i.e. not “students”) do not have a Provider Number assigned to them. This is not unique to our program only, but all Residency Programs. Thereby, the Residents’ charges are all billed under the Precepting Faculty Member that is assigned to the clinic.
Do you have any “Specialists” at your facility?
Family Medicine is a medical specialty with personalized medical care for your entire family. The family physician not only treats your illness, but looks for opportunities to help you improve your health. The spectrum of family medicine includes: care during pregnancy and childbirth, infant care, childhood and adolescent care, women’s health care, men’s health care, individual and family counseling, care of minor injuries, laboratory testing, and home visits.
In addition to this, our physicians make appropriate consultations and/or referrals to other specialists if they are deemed medically necessary.
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