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CALL AND SCHEDULE YOUR FLU SHOT TODAY (315)782-2141

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WELLCARE SCAM ALERT

​Dear Patient:

We wish to let you know of a fraud involving scammers and Wellcare patients.  Last November Wellcare posted a notice that a group of scammers has been contacting NY providers pretending to be Wellcare staff.  Their goal is to obtain medical information and our provider’s signatures for their fake durable medical equipment claims.   ​

The durable medical equipment fraud works like this... the scammer files a fake claim for a piece of durable medical equipment (ie, back, neck or knee brace) and receives payment for said equipment from Wellcare.  The patient receives the equipment that they don’t need or even want.  When the patient calls to inquire about the equipment and arrange for its return, they are told “no worries” just pay the “re-stocking” fee and ship it back.  The scammer will try to get the patient’s credit card information as well as any other personal information they can get.

Since these scammers have been unable to obtain the information they need for their fake claims from our office, they are now calling Wellcare patients directly and pretending to be a Watertown Internists staff member or a Wellcare staff member.  

​DO NOT SPEAK TO THESE PEOPLE OR GIVE THEM ANY INFORMATION.
THEY WILL CALL REPEATEDLY, BECOMING MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH EACH CALL.

Report the suspicious phone call to Wellcare at the number on your ID card.   
Inform Wellcare that you believe your Wellcare ID number has been compromised and ask for a new ID number and card.  
Also report the call to Wellcare’s Fraud, Waste & Abuse hotline at 1-888-685-8664.

 Sincerely,
Watertown Internists Healthcare Providers & Staff

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Credit Card Risk Notification:

Each time a credit card (not debit) is used to pay for services, patients must be notified of the risks of paying for medical services with a credit card; including:
A) Medical bills paid by credit card are no longer considered medical debt. 
B) By paying with a credit card, patients are forgoing federal & state protections around medical debt. 
C) Protections that patients must acknowledge forgoing include: 
      a. Prohibitions against wage garnishment and property liens 
      b. Prohibition against reporting medical debt to credit bureaus 
      c. Limitations on interest rates 
      d. Patients must affirmatively acknowledge forgoing these protections by paying with a credit card.

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Lab Draws:  No walk-in lab draws. All lab draws are by appointment only, please call (315)-782-2141.  Also, only the patient having labs drawn can be in the lab area.
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Ratings Websites / Social Media Policy:

Watertown Internists, PC is proud to have been providing comprehensive and compassionate care in the community since 1993 and takes our treatment of its patients and their privacy seriously. Because federal privacy laws govern patients’ protected health information, it is not the policy of Watertown Internists, PC to substantively respond to negative reviews on “ratings” websites, even if they provide misleading, unfair or inaccurate information.  We welcome all our patients and their families to address any concerns/requests or information about their care with us directly, as we strive to continue to provide individualized care in our community.
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Job Openings: Want to join our team? Current openings will be listed under the "Contact Us" tab... so check it out! Our Mission    Watertown Internists, PC is committed to providing healthcare services to the adult clients (age 16 years and older) of Northern New York.  In partnership with clients, families and providers, our staff will render a broad range of comprehensive services.  Please click on the "Services" tab for additional information.  NCQA Patient Centered Medical Home Certified http://reportcards.ncqa.org/#/practice/Practice_001G0000011qSw5IAE

Monday-Friday (except Thursday) 8:00am – 4:30pm
Thursday 8:00am – 3:30pm

Lab Hours:
Monday-Friday (except Thursday) 7:45am – 3:30pm
Thursday 7:45am – 3:00pm

After Hours Care:
After hours your call will be forwarded to our answering service, who will notify the physician on call.  Your call will be returned as soon as it is possible.  If your call is not returned within 30 minutes, please call back.

 Some Insurance companies are requiring patients to select a Primary Care Physician (PCP).  This means they are restricting your primary care to just that healthcare provider and will not pay for you to see anyone else.   PCP information is generally listed on the front of your insurance ID card.   If a PCP is required, but not selected by the patient, the insurance company will “auto assign” you to one. 
** This fact often goes unnoticed by the patient. **
 
Please review your insurance ID card for any PCP information.  If there is a healthcare provider listed, and it is not a healthcare provider for Watertown Internists, then we cannot see you as a patient here. 

TO FIX THIS:  Before your appointment, you will need to call the Member Services number located on the back of your ID card and request a PCP change.  Make sure to note to whom you spoke to and write down any call reference/confirmation number they might give you.   This will be important should they try to deny paying your medial claims.  Please advise staff during check-in that you have updated your PCP.

We have contracts with the following insurance companies and networks:

**NO LONGER ACCEPTING / TREATING WORKERS COMPENSATION RELATED INJURIES**

• Excellus BS, Essential & HBX* Plans
• Lifetime Benefit Solutions (formally RMSCO)
• Martin’s Point
• MVP (CIGNA, Preferred Care), MVP Medicare, MVP Essential & MVP **Medicaid & MVP HBX* Plans
• Emblem/GHI Health
• First Health Network (Coventry - Enlyte)
• United Healthcare Commercial, Essential Plan, Medicare Advantage & **Medicaid Community Plans
• The Empire Plan
• PHCS/Multiplan Network
• Aetna, Aetna Medicare, Aetna Network with Meritain 
• UMR (formally Pomco)
• Fidelis HBX* plans, Essential & **Medicaid Plans (to be Centene 2018)
• Medicare PFFS (standard Medicare)
• NYS **Medicaid (current established patients only)
• WellCare/Todays Options Medicare PPO (Universal American Corp)
• American Progressive (Heritage Health System 10/2017)
• Medicare Blue PPO
• St. Lawrence/Lewis Co School District Medical plan (Now Excellus BS)
• Humana Medicare -> Participating as of 8/14/2019
• Humana Military (ended participation as of 1/1/2019)
• CDPHP - as of 5/10/2023
• Medicare Advantage plans not listed are billed as a courtesy -> office considered out-of-network