Insurances We Take Insurance is considered a method of reimbursing the patient for fees paid to the doctor, not a substitute for payment. As a courtesy to our patients, this office will submit claims for all insurance. For specific payment or benefits information, please contact your insurance company. Patients must bring their current insurance card with them to every appointment to ensure proper billing. Our receptionists will ask to see the card. France Avenue Family Physicians is contracted with the following insurance networks:
The physicians at France Avenue Family Physicians receive many requests for medication refills from patients and pharmacies. Here are a few suggestions to make refilling your medications easier:
If you have a medical question during office hours, your call will be returned by a nurse. If necessary, the nurse will suggest an appointment with your physician. Our staff is available to answer your questions by phone, however, observation and examination are essential to the practice of quality medicine.
Under managed care HMO, each primary care clinic belongs to a care system. Each care system has their designated network of specialty providers. For you to have your highest benefit, it is a clinic policy to refer to an in network provider whenever possible. Some plans have no benefit without a referral. Please contact your health plan Customer Service for those benefit options.
Referrals are authorizations from your primary physician for specialty services received outside of your primary care clinic, in or out of network. Only the physician has the authority to approve or deny a referral request because of medical necessity, network, etc. Some health plans will not authorize an out of network referral from your physician. Those services would require a PRIOR authorization by the health plan PRIOR to having the service
France Avenue Family Physicians (FAFP) has ongoing relationships with many specialty providers and facilities. If we, as your primary care clinic, cannot offer a specific type of service, a referral will be generated if approved by your provider. It is your responsibility to contact the Referral Coordinator at least 48 hours prior to your appointment at 952-831-1133 or customerservice@fafpedina.com. Under a managed care system, each primary care clinic belongs to a care system. Each care system has their designated network of health care professionals including, primary care clinics, associated specialty care providers, hospitals, and allied health care professionals, who can deliver the full range of health care services for their patients. FAFP is contracted with two separate networks, Fairview Physician Associates (FPA) and Minnesota Healthcare Network (MHN). For you to have your highest benefit and reduce your out of pocket costs, you will be referred to an in-network provider. Referrals outside of the network will not be authorized. Only the physician has the authority to approve or deny a referral request because of medical necessity, network, etc. If the first specialist refers you to another specialist or for another procedure, YOU must call the Referral Coordinator at FAFP to obtain authorization for that service. The testing or services of the second provider are not automatically included in the referral to the first specialist. The following insurance plans are under managed care and may require a referral:
Our Physician Assistants play an important role here at France Avenue Family Physicians.
Suzanne Runkel and Ellie Price, our Physician Assistants are valuable members of our team.
Physician Assistants are not physicians, nor are they in the process of becoming physicians. They are known as mid-level providers, and are recognized health care professionals. Their education and clinical experience enables them to offer a broad range of services to patients, always under the supervision of a licensed physicians.
You should see our Physician Assistant for things such as:
Physician Assistants graduate from an accredited PA program, usually three years in length. This includes 9 - 12 months of classroom study and 12 - 15 months of supervised clinical experience. Prior to attending their Physician Assistant training, PA's have completed a four-year bachelor's degree.
All PA's receive certification after passing an examination developed by the National Commission on the certification of Physician Assistants. They maintain their certification by earning 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years, and by passing a re-certification exam every six years.
Physician consultation is available to the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Asssistant at all times.
If you are a new patient to our clinic, you can conveniently print the necessary forms to fill out and bring with you. (*** Click on the Back button in your browser to return to this page after you print the documents. ***)
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1. Print the Patient Registration Form. Fill out the form and bring it with you to your appointment.
2. Read the Notice of Privacy Practices.
3. Print the Consent Form. Sign and Date it, and bring it with you. If you would like a printed copy of the Privacy Notice, you may request one at your appointment.
4. Bring paperwork, your insurance card, any co payment, and a government issued ID to your appointment.
Here at France Avenue Family Physicians (FAFP), we are dedicated to the quality of healthcare our patients receive. We work hard to set our standards high above those of our peers. Some of the current quality initiatives we are focusing on include:
1. Depression. The number of Americans diagnosed with depression is staggering. FAFP is committed to helping our patients with depression manage their disease, so much so, that we are participating in an outcomes study that is supported by Fairview Physician Associates (FPA), and Minnesota Healthcare Network (MHN). If you have, or think you may have depression, and/or anxiety, click here to print out our questionnaire. Fill it out and bring it with you to your next appointment.
2. Diabetes. We are working with MHN, FPA, The University of Minnesota, and the health insurance companies to monitor our diabetes outcomes. This study measures how often patients receive the appropriate care and get the correct blood tests and measures of other health indicators. We want to assure that each patient is on the path to well controlled diabetes.
3. Routine Health Maintenance. We take a very proactive approach to disease management. Our routine physicals are designed to identify any potential problems, and get them corrected before anything serious occurs.
4. Patient Satisfaction Surveys. Twice per year, we assess the satisfaction of our patients by having them fill out surveys when they visit our practice. We take these surveys very seriously and use them to improve on our services to patients and our internal operations.
Disease management is a program designed to help unite health care providers with their patients in order to provide more personalized and successful management of chronic diseases. The program is completely elective and is provided to the patient free of cost.
A patient enrolled in this program will be paired with a Care Coordinator. The Care Coordinator will work one-on-one with the patient to help identifiy obstacles and goals in the patient's disease management process. The Coordinator will be in contact with the patient's primary care provider, any specialists the patient sees and any family members the patient feels important to involve in their disease management. When all providers and specialists work as a medical team the patient receives more inclusive and efficient care.
Managing a disease can be overwhelming to a person, but it doesn't have to be. Your care providers at France Avenue Family Physicians are dedicated to providing you with the best medical care available and offering the patients the individual support they deserve.
This program is open to any patient who is excited and determined to make a difference in his or her quality of life through disease management. For more information please contact your health care provider.
Your physician can help you decide if this service is right for you.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
A test for thyroid-stimulating hormone is done to:
Hypothyroidism: An underactive thyroid gland. Symptoms include weight gain, tiredness, constipation, and a feeling of being too cold.
Hyperthyroidism: An overactive thyroid gland. Symptoms include weight loss, rapid heart rate, nervousness, diarrhea, a feeling of being too hot, and irregular menstrual periods.
A normal thyroid range is 0.350 - 5.500 uIU/mL.
This test measures your total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL (good), and LDL (bad). Your lipids are an important risk factor for heart disease.
Cholesterol is made up of 3 main components: LDL ("bad" cholesterol), HDL ("good" cholesterol), and triglycerides. LDL is the main cholesterol carrier. It forms plaques in arteries which block blood flow to the heart, brain, and the rest of the body. HDL moves cholesterol from arteries to the liver for metabolism. A high level of LDL corresponds to a higher risk of coronary artery disease. Similarly, a high level of HDL corresponds to a lowerrisk of coronary artery disease.
**** Your provider may like you to maintain an LDL that is significantly lower than 99, particularly if you have other health concerns. Regardless of the stated "Normal" ranges, your provider will establish numbers that are right for you.
Hemoglobin A1C, glycated hemoglobin, or glycohemoglobin
This test provides an average of your blood glucose control over a six to 12 week period. It is a very important tool in determining the control of your diabetes. It is used in conjunction with your home blood glucose monitoring to make sure your diabetes medicines are working effectively.
It is extremely important that your HBA1C level remains less than 6.5%. The higher the hemoglobin A1C, the higher the risks of developing complications related to diabetes.
For a person without diabetes, the normal range is 4% - 6%.
Aspartate aminotransferase or Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT).
An AST test is done to measure the amounts of the AST ensyme in your blood. Elevated AST ensymes, while not specific for liver disease, can aid in the diagnosing and monitoring of the course of liver disease.
Your provider will test your AST level, for instance, if you are taking a long-term medication that can affect your liver cells.
The normal range for AST is 10 - 34 IU/L.
Prostate Specific Antigen
Prostate Specific Antigen is a protein that is found in measurable amounts in the bloodstream. The quantity of PSA in the blood tends to correlate with the size of the prostate. An enlarged prostate sometimes indicates a prostate problem. It is possible to have a normal PSA result and still have a prostate problem. Even an increase in PSA level that is still in the normal range can be an indication that their is a problem. Your health care provider will discuss your results with you.
A normal PSA level is 0.0 - 4.0 ng/mL
Glucose measures the amount of sugar in your blood. Glucose is the primary energy source in your body. Insulin ( a natural hormone produced by the pancreas) controls how glucose is used in your body. If the pancreas isn't producing enough insulin, the levels of glucose in your blood with rise. High glocose levels can lead to kidney, eye, heart and nervous system diseases. It can be an indication of diabetes or other glucose metabolism disorders.
The normal glucose range is 65 - 99 mg/dL
This test measures the amount of urea nitrogen and creatinine in the blood. The kidneys filter these products from your system, so this test is a tool to measure your kidney function.
The normal range is 5 - 26 mg/dL.
Creatinine combines with phosphate to produce creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate is used by skeletal muscle for contraction. The kidneys filter this from your system. This test is used to measure kidney function.
The normal range is .5 - 1.5 mg/dL.
Alanine transaminase or Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT).
This test is used to determine if you have liver damage. The enzyme is found in the liver and heart and is released into the blood stream when either of these organs is damaged.
The normal range is 0 - 55 Iu/L.
The proper level of potassium is essential for normal cell function. An abnormal increase or decrease of potassuim can profoundly affect the nervous system and heart. In extreme cases, it can be fatal.
The normal range is 3.5 - 5.5 mmol/L.
Calcium is a blood test to measure the amount of calcium in the blood. Calcium is important for blood clotting, nerve and muscle function, and cell reproduction activity. Calcium is measured to screen for or monitor bone diseases or diseases of the parathyroid gland or kidneys.
the normal range is 8.5 10.6 mg/dL.
Uric Acid is made int he liver and excreted in the kidneys. Thsi test is used to diagnose gout (a type of arthritis) and other kidney disorders.
The normal range is 2.4 - 8.2 mg/dL