Office Hours
Monday: 9am-5pm
Tuesday: 9am-5pm
Wednesday: 8:30am - 3:15pm (procedures only)
Thursday: 9am-11:30am | 1pm-3:15 (procedures only)
Friday: 9am-3pm
Patient Portal
We now offer a Patient Portal that allows you to:
- review your medications and request refills
- request appointments
- check upcoming appointments
- review your results
- send non-urgent messages to the office staff or Dr. Harary
- access preparation instructions and special diets
- update your personal contact information or health insurance information
- update your medical history
Your first appointment should not be made through the Patient Portal; it should be made by telephone.
Appointments
We have made requesting an appointment a simple and convenient process via our web site and new Patient Portal. Please send us an email via the Patient Portal to request an appointment or call us if you prefer.
If for any reason you cannot keep a scheduled appointment, or will be delayed, please call us as soon as possible at 212-702-0123. (DO NOT EMAIL)
Insurance and Billing
Please contact our office to verify acceptance of your insurance plan. We are happy to file insurance claims for your in-network reimbursements.
Insurances we currently participate with:
- Oxford Freedom
- Oxford Liberty*
- United Healthcare
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Medicare
- Meritain
- UMR
- Nippon Life
*Oxford Liberty is the only Health Insurance Exchange (Obamacare) plan in which we participate.
We understand that it can be difficult to get through the maze of insurance coverage information. We will assist whenever possible. Co-pays, deductibles, referrals and coinsurance are requirements of your agreement with your carrier and are your responsibilities.
In-Network Insured Patients
We will bill your insurance company on your behalf. However, you remain solely responsible for the fees and must take any steps necessary to ensure that your insurer pays its share of these services. If your insurer fails to pay, you will be held responsible for full payment of all charges. Keep in mind that as a requirement of your insurance, you may have a financial responsibility for part of a service.
You are responsible for paying co-pays on the day of service, per your insurance contract. Failure to pay at time of visit can result in having to reschedule your appointment.
Referrals
If your insurance company requires referrals you must have your referral in place (electronically or paper) on the day of your visit. If you do not have the proper referral, you will be responsible for the full cost of the doctor’s services.
Self-Pay or Out of Network Patients
We are happy to see patients with insurance plans with which we do not participate. We request that you pay for services rendered at the time of visit. The usual cost for a new patient consultation is $350 and for follow-up visits for established patients is $150. You should speak to the office staff about the charges for procedures you may need.
Payments
The recent healthcare changes have added more pressure to an already stressed system. As any business, we must be paid in order to continue providing services. We expect that you pay any balance due within 30 days.
If you cannot make a payment within 30 days, you must contact the billing manager immediately to make payment arrangements and make regular monthly payments. We will do everything within reason to work with patients who are making a sincere effort to meet their obligations.
We will charge a $25 fee for bad checks received.
New Patient Forms
For new patients, please call the office to get an activation code to be able to log in to the Patient Portal to complete new patient forms online. You can also download, print, and fill out the forms to bring with you to your first appointment. This will make your first visit more efficient.
- New Patient Forms
- HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices Form
- Health Information Exchange, Care Everywhere and Healthix Consent Form
Please read section on Preparing for your visit.
Preparation for Procedures
We provide detailed written instructions for each procedure that Dr. Harary performs. Make sure that you have received and read the instructions sheet at least 5 days before your colonoscopy and as least 2 days before your upper endoscopy, esophageal manometry, esophageal reflux pH monitoring, or wireless capsule endoscopy.
Please provide our office with a complete list of all medications (both prescription and over the counter) and any supplements so that we can give you the proper instructions. If you have diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, or are taking anticoagulants (blood thinners), make sure that you inform our office staff when you make your procedure appointment.
If you have a pacemaker, stent, coronary bypass or defibrillator, make sure that you inform our office staff when you make your procedure appointment. We must get clearance from your cardiologist before performing the procedure.
Please inform us of any changes in your insurance or medication and any new medical conditions or operations.
Preparing for Your Office Visit
Being well prepared for your appointment will ensure that the doctor has all of the needed information to provide the best possible care for you. Bring blood test results, X-ray reports, CT scans, endoscopy and colonoscopy reports, and any pathology or biopsy reports. You can have these results faxed to 212-392-5255.
If you have internet access, we will provide you with an activation code when you make an appointment and you will be able to log in the Patient Portal in advance of your appointment and enter all personal contact, insurance and medical information online.
Make sure you have a referral from your primary care physician if required by your insurance. Please bring your health insurance card and credit card or personal check.
Office Visits Before Procedures
If you have not seen Dr. Harary for more than 12 months, it is beneficial to see him in the office for a visit before having your procedure. This allows the doctor to make sure that the procedure is still necessary, adjust your medications and provide the correct instructions to prepare for your procedure.
A pre-procedure office visit is required for patients over 70 years of age, anyone with diabetes, heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease, and for new patients who need an upper endoscopy, wireless capsule endoscopy, esophageal manometry or ambulatory esophageal monitoring study.
Telephone Call Policy
Please feel free to call or use the Patient Portal with questions about preparing for your procedure, prescription refills, test results or billing questions. We can respond to questions for the doctor that can be answered briefly through his staff. However, more complex or sensitive questions that require a direct conversation with Dr. Harary should be handled during a face-to-face office visit.
If your call is for an urgent medical problem, please make that clear to our office staff. If your call is for urgent medical symptoms, please call again if you have not received a response within one hour. Non-urgent phone inquiries will be answered within two business days.
If you are having a problem tolerating the laxatives for a colonoscopy, please contact the doctor (page him if necessary) so that he can make recommendations that will help you.
*EMERGENCIES – If your medical problem is an emergency, you should call 911 and go to a nearby hospital Emergency Department. Please immediately inform us of any Emergency Department visits. You should also get a copy of all the labs, x-ray results and treatment reports before you leave the Emergency Department or hospital.
Manhattan Endoscopy Center
Dr. Harary performs most of his colonoscopy and upper GI endoscopy procedures at the Manhattan Endoscopy Center (MEC) located at 535 5th Avenue on East 44th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, near Grand Central Station. This is a state-of-the-art outpatient facility that is dedicated to optimizing patient safety, comfort and convenience. Feel free to visit the Manhattan Endoscopy Center website to learn more information.
The center charges a separate fee from Dr. Harary’s fees for facility use and anesthesia. The center is in-network with all major insurance companies (see Manhattan Endoscopy Center website), but you may be responsible for paying deductibles, copays and coinsurance depending on the specific provisions of your insurance policy.
Your appointment will be made through Dr. Harary’s office, not through the MEC office.
