Registration & Consultation
During this initial visit, you will register as an outpatient. You will need to bring your insurance cards with you for your appointment, as well as any authorizations required by your insurance plan. You will meet with the billing specialist at this time, and it is important to let the billing personnel know all of your insurance policies, including any cancer policies. The billing department will file these policies for you at the appropriate time. This registration process can take 15-30 minutes, so please arrive early for your appointment. To schedule a consultation with our radiation oncology specialists, you'll need a referral from your primary care physician or a medical specialist, such as a urologist, surgeon, or medical oncologist. The consultation process will determine if radiation therapy would be beneficial for you. During this first consultation, the radiation oncologist will review your basic medical history, then, he will do a thorough medical evaluation and exam.
He will be the sole authority for determining whether or not you will need radiation treatment. Certain additional tests or x-rays may be recommended by the Radiation Oncologist in order to complete the evaluation or aid in the process of radiation therapy localization for your particular situation. This evaluation period normally takes about an hour, although longer periods may sometimes be required. Radiation therapy is a complex treatment consisting of many procedures performed by a number of people. Some of these tasks and the people doing these procedures are obvious to you; some other procedures are done behind the scenes. The expense of radiation therapy is similar to other specialized treatments, such as major surgery. Most insurance companies will cover the cost of the radiation therapy. In general, the bills you receive will include both the physician’s and the facility’s charges together. If you do not have insurance, or have only limited insurance, you may discuss this with our billing administrator so your special case can be reviewed in time.
If you are a candidate for radiation therapy and you consent to begin treatment, the next step in the clinical process is the scheduling of a CT simulation procedure.