FAQs
How can I make an appointment with your office?
Appointments can be made by calling our office at 772-335-5300 to schedule an appointment in Port St. Lucie, or calling 772-283-5500 for an appointment in Stuart. If you are an established patient you can send us a request through the secure Patient Portal.
You may also visit our Make an Appointment page to give us your information. Please note that you do not have an appointment until we call to confirm.
Thank you for choosing Coastal Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center we look forward to taking care of your orthopaedic needs!
Should I arrive early to my appointment if I'm a new patient?
Yes. If you are a new patient with our office, please arrive 15 minutes earlier to allow time to complete your paperwork. Or take advantage of the convenient on-line patient forms on this website, and complete at your leisure at home prior to arriving for your appointment.
What should I bring in with me when I come in for an appointment?
Please bring the following items with you to your appointment
- Driver’s license or a form of a picture ID
- Copies of Medical Records, previous x-rays, MRI, and/or CAT scan
- Insurance Cards
If applicable, Patient forms printed from the website
Can X-Rays be taken for me at the office?
Yes, both locations have on-site digital x-ray equipment.
How do I receive copies of my medical records, MRI's, or X-Rays?
Please contact our office 24 hours in advance and speak with the receptionist to request your medical records. You can come into the office and complete a Medical Records Release Form or complete the form online by printing fromour “Patient Forms” button on right hand side.
Medical Records are not processed in our office. The Medical Release Form will be forwarded to Bactes, the medical records company.
Please allow up to two weeks for processing of records and/or copies of MRI / X-Ray CD’s.
Prior to your records being mailed to you, Bactes will forward you an invoice and once payment is recieved, your records will be mailed to you.
**Please note that there is NO charge when a physician’s office requests your medical records.
Will I see a PA (Physician Assistant)?
Coastal Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center would like to inform our patients that our practice employs Physician Assistants to help provide orthopaedic care to the patients in our community. During your visit you may be seen by one of these highly trained Physician Assistants. This is due, in part, to recent changes in Healthcare and Insurance Organizations’ attempt at managing physicians and specialists’ efficiency. These changes in summary are all due in part to the recent implementation of the Affordable Care Act/ObamaCare.
Physician Assistants (PA) are licensed healthcare professionals whom practice medicine with a physician’s supervision. As part of their responsibilities, PA’s conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive healthcare, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions.
What is the Patient Refund Policy?
Coastal Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center is committed to complying with all applicable federal and Florida laws governing patient billing, account reconciliation, and refunds.
1. Legal Authority
This policy is adopted in accordance with Section 408.12, Florida Statutes, and Section 456.0625, Florida Statutes, which require healthcare facilities and healthcare practitioners to refund patient overpayments within a defined timeframe once an overpayment has been determined.
2. Definition of Patient Overpayment
A patient overpayment occurs when a patient or guarantor has paid more than the amount ultimately owed after completion of all applicable billing and insurance processes, including insurance claim adjudication, adjustments, reprocessing, coordination of benefits determinations, recoupment activity, and applicable insurer prompt pay and reconciliation periods.
This policy applies only to patient-paid funds and does not apply to overpayments made by health insurers or HMOs, which are governed by separate state and federal regulations.
3. Final Adjudication and Refund Timing
Effective January 1, 2026, once a patient overpayment is identified and determined following final claim adjudication, the practice will issue a refund to the patient or guarantor no later than 30 days from the date the overpayment determination is made, as required by Florida law.
For purposes of this policy, final adjudication is deemed to occur after completion of all applicable insurer prompt pay, adjustment, and reconciliation periods, which may extend up to one year following the most recent insurance adjudication activity related to the services at issue.
Credits identified prior to final adjudication are considered provisional and do not constitute a determined overpayment.
4. Active Treatment and Prepayment Application
If the guarantor has any patient in active treatment or any future appointment scheduled with the practice for any family member under the same guarantor, any identified credit will be applied as a prepayment toward a future date of service rather than refunded at that time.
Prepayments may be applied to services for any patient under the same guarantor. Once all active treatment has been concluded and no future appointments are scheduled, any remaining credit will be evaluated for refund in accordance with this policy.
5. Account Review Prior to Refund
Before issuing a refund, the practice will confirm that there are no pending insurance claims, unresolved coordination of benefits issues, or outstanding balances on other accounts under the same guarantor. These review steps do not delay issuance of a refund once an overpayment has been determined.
6. Refund Method
Refunds will be issued to the original method of payment when feasible. If the original payment method is unavailable, a paper check will be mailed to the guarantor’s address on file. It is the guarantor’s responsibility to keep address information current.
7. De Minimis Credits
Patient credits in the amount of $0.01 to $4.99 will remain on the account as a credit toward future services unless a refund is specifically requested.
Credits of $5.00 or greater are eligible for refund, prepayment application, or donation in accordance with this policy.
9. Questions
Questions regarding patient credits or refunds may be directed to the Billing Department at 772-335-5300 ext 2029.