FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why don’t you accept insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid? There are a variety of reasons. Ever wonder why doctors and nurses spend so much time on their computer during your appointment? Charting for the purposes of billing takes a lot of time. We prefer to spend our time focused on our patients, not on our charts. Second, billing insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid requires compliance with unnecessary regulations and restrictions and adds to the costs you pay. It also requires additional office staff to file insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid claims, all of which add significant costs which must be passed on to patients. We believe that by eliminating these factors, we can provide higher quality medical care and offer more affordable prices.

I have insurance. Can I still be seen at Lighthouse Convenience Clinic? Yes, we are happy to treat insured patients. However, unlike most clinics, we do not accept insurance payments. Through our own personal experience, we have found that high deductible insurance plans pay very little if anything until a person has thousands of dollars of medical bills. Even when insurance coverage kicks in, the cost of the copay may be higher than a visit to Lighthouse Convenience Clinic. Unfortunately, you probably won’t know the cost of your medical care until months after your visit, when the bill comes in the mail. At Lighthouse Convenience Clinic, you will ALWAYS know your costs BEFORE treatment is initiated. Many of our fees are listed on our prices page, but before we draw blood for your lab, or initiate any other procedure, you will know the cost. No surprise bills, which we believe is the most ethical way to practice medicine.

I have Medicaid. Can I be seen at Lighthouse Convenience Clinic? Yes, we are happy to treat Medicaid patients. However, since we are not a Medicaid provider, we WILL NOT FILE YOUR MEDICAID BENEFITS AND YOU CANNOT BE REIMBURSED FOR OFFICE VISITS, TREATMENTS, OR PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED AT OUR OFFICE. Payment is expected at time of visit. In addition, Medicaid regulations stipulate that ANY PRESCRIPTIONS, ORDERS FOR LABS, X-RAYS OR OTHER REFERRALS FOR PROCEDURES ORIGINATING FROM LIGHTHOUSE CONVENIENCE CLINIC CANNOT BE REIMBURSED BY MEDICAID. Per Medicaid, in order for us to provide treatment, you must sign a contract acknowledging your understanding of these stipulations. We apologize for any inconvenience or hardship this may cause but these are not our rules, they are the requirements of the federal government governing your enrollment in Medicaid.

I have Medicare. Can I be seen at Lighthouse Convenience Clinic? Yes! Dr. Martin is happy to treat Medicare patients. However, since Dr. Martin has opted out of Medicare, Lighthouse Convenience Clinic WILL NOT BILL MEDICARE ON YOUR BEHALF, NOR CAN YOU SUBMIT THE COSTS YOU INCUR AS A PATIENT IN OUR FACILITY TO MEDICARE. Dr. Martin may order outside labs, procedures, and referrals for Medicare patients and those may be covered by Medicare. Per Medicare stipulations, any Medicare patient wishing to be seen by Dr. Martin must sign a contract acknowledging their understanding of the information stated above.

Can Dr. Martin be my primary care physician? Lighthouse Convenience Clinic is a same-day, walk-in clinic with a primary purpose of filling in gaps in medical care. Dr. Martin was an Emergency Medicine physician for 20+ years with experience treating medical emergencies and trauma as well as acute, non-life-threatening conditions. He also has 5+ years experience as an Urgent Care physician. There is significant overlap between what primary care physicians do and the treatments and services we provide at Lighthouse Convenience Clinic. We also understand that for a variety of reasons, including inability to be seen in a timely manner, lack of funds, and other issues, many Americans do not have primary care physicians and Dr. Martin will evaluate ALL patients needing care. We are happy to provide annual exams and bloodwork, however, certain conditions that require long-term medical management are best treated in a relationship between a patient and their primary care physician and Dr. Martin will likely recommend that you establish with a PCP under those circumstances.

What types of payments do you accept? We accept cash, checks, and credit/debit cards, including HSAs. Payment is expected at time of service. All visits will incur an office visit fee. During your appointment, Dr. Martin may recommend treatments, medications, X-rays, or labs. Most of these costs are listed on our prices page. Prior to initiating any procedure, your costs will be explained and you may agree to or decline treatment. Payment for office visit and treatments administered is expected at check out. You will never open your mailbox to find a bill for additional charges from Lighthouse Convenience Clinic.

Serving patients of all ages in the Lake of the Ozarks and surrounding area, including Osage Beach, Linn Creek, Sunrise Beach, Laurie, Eldon, Lebanon, Climax Springs, Macks Creek, Richland, Kaiser, Iberia, Brumley, Lake Ozark, Preston, Stoutland, Camdenton, Roach, and beyond.