FAQs & SAQs - Women's Health Associates | Kansas City Women's Health Providers

We understand you may have questions about our practice and our physicians. Below is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and ‘should-ask’ questions (SAQs). We hope this section will assist you in answering any questions you may have, and feel free to contact us directly if we can be of further service.

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FAQs

General Questions & Answers

What are your hours of operation?

Women’s Health Associates is open between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. We are closed on all legal holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. By custom, we also close the afternoon of Christmas Eve and the day after Thanksgiving.

Which hospitals are your physicians affiliated with?

Our physicians have privileges at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.

What insurances do you accept?

While we accept most insurances, we suggest you contact your health insurance plan to ensure we are listed as an in-network provider.

Do you accept Medicaid or Healthwave patients?

No. Women’s Health Associates does not accept these insurance types.

How do I make or cancel an appointment?

To schedule or cancel an appointment, call (913) 677-3113 and select option 2. You will then be routed to our appointment desk, where one of our staff can assist you.

What should I bring to each appointment?

It is important that you bring a current copy of your insurance card and one form of identification. During each appointment, you will be asked to update your records, and any required copays will be collected before your scheduled visit.

Why do I have to come early to complete paperwork? Can the New Patient paperwork be mailed to me in advance?

Unfortunately, no. Women’s Health Associates uses an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, and the forms are filled out electronically. You can, however, complete a portion of these forms online prior to certain appointments. Please advise the receptionist if you are interested in completing your new or annual paperwork prior to your appointment.

What should I do if I am running late to an appointment?

If you are running late to an appointment, we ask that you call our offices at (913) 677-3113 to notify us. While we will always attempt to see patients who are late for their appointments, you may be asked to reschedule if you are more than 20 minutes late.

Do any of your doctors specialize in menopause? Or see gynecology-patients only?

All of our physicians specialize in treating the entire spectrum of women’s health: from pre-pregnancy to motherhood to menopause. We do not have doctors that specialize solely in one area.

Do you offer the Gardasil HPV vaccination?

Yes, Women’s Health Associates offers the Gardasil vaccination. If you are interested in Gardasil, call our office to schedule an appointment to discuss this vaccine with your physician. Please know that because of its recent introduction and we are uncertain how insurance companies will cover this new series of vaccines, we will contact your insurance company to verify you have benefits for Gardasil prior to you receiving the injection.

Do you offer Robotic Surgery?

Yes, Dr. Ridgway and Dr. Swartzman perform the Robotic da Vinci Hysterectomy. This procedure uses a state-of-the-art-surgical system designed to help your doctor perform a precise and minimally invasive hysterectomy. A Robotic da Vinci Hysterectomy offers numerous potential benefits over traditional surgical approaches, including less pain, less blood loss, less risk of infection, shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery, and better patient satisfaction.

Questions & Answers about My Care

What should I do if I need to obtain a prescription refill?

For routine prescription refills, please contact your pharmacy several days ahead of time to request a refill, and they will obtain any necessary information from our office. Please know that some prescriptions can’t be refilled without an office visit.

Is a provider available by phone after-hours, if I am experiencing an emergency?

Yes. If you are experiencing an emergency and need to speak with a doctor outside of our normal business hours, call 913-338-8322 to reach our answering service where they can triage your symptoms and page the physician on call. Please know that any non-emergent calls and any calls that do not relate to a pregnancy or recent surgery may be assessed a $25 fee.

Should I page the physician on call outside of normal business hours, if I have a vaginal or other infection?

Unfortunately, there is limited treatment for these infections that can occur after-hours, and it is recommended you wait to schedule an appointment during our normal business hours. If necessary, we can often schedule same-day appointments for problems you are experiencing. In the meantime, our physicians recommend you visit your pharmacy to obtain an over-the-counter medication or, if necessary, visit an urgent care clinic for treatment.

If I am pregnant, should I contact the hospital to pre-register my upcoming delivery?

Yes, it is recommended that you contact the hospital in advance (about 32 weeks into your pregnancy). Please contact Shawnee Mission Medical Center at (913) 676-2300 or visit their website for more information. This is also where you can find information on any available classes that you may find beneficial during your pregnancy.

Where can I go to sign up for prenatal education classes?

As an expecting mother, you have access to prenatal classes at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, call (913) 676-2300 or visit their website for more information. If you are interested in learning about private classes, contact Vanessa Flood at (913) 485-0298 or visit birthingbeyond.com for more information.

Questions & Answers about My Bill

Why am I not billed immediately after receiving a service?

Assuming you have insurance, several steps take place prior to you receiving a bill from Women’s Health Associates. Our practice will file a claim with your insurance company within a few days of your service being rendered. Most insurance companies process the claim within 30 days (although it can take longer if the claim must be reprocessed or if your insurance company has questions). Once we receive payment from your insurance company, a bill is sent to you for any remaining balances owed to the practice. This process ensures your insurance benefits and discounts are applied prior to you receiving a bill.

I am pregnant and understand that most services will be covered under one “global fee”. What services are not covered under this global?

The global fee is one charge that Women’s Health Associates bills your insurance company for your standard maternity care, which includes 13 prenatal visits, the delivery of the baby and one routine postpartum visit. Any additional services received (including but not limited to non-stress / fetal monitoring tests, problems visits, labs and sonograms) are not covered under the global fee and will be billed separately to your insurance company. These additional services are subject to your deductible, coinsurance and/or copay benefits.

Why did I receive a bill from an outside entity (e.g., lab, hospital, etc.), in addition to my bill from Women’s Health Associates?

Women’s Health Associates bills only for services that are performed by our office and our physicians. Any laboratory testing (including blood work, pap smears, screenings, etc.) is sent to an outside lab for processing; therefore, you may receive a bill from the lab for their services. This will be in addition to the bill you may receive from us relating to the services your physician performed. The same applies for any medical care you receive at the hospital or other facility (including anesthesia and/or perinatal specialists): the services you receive are external to Women’s Health Associates, and you may receive a bill from these outside entities.What can I do if I disagree with a decision made by my insurance company not to pay for a procedure or office visit?
You always have the right to appeal decisions made by your insurance company. You must contact your insurance company to find out how to go about submitting an appeal.

SAQs (‘Should-Ask’ Questions)

Whether you’re pregnant or not, finding the right OB/GYN is important and can be overwhelming. Below is a list of questions that can help you determine the difference between practices and hopefully help you in finding Dr. Right!

Click here to download a PDF of these questions

Should Ask Questions (SAQ) and Answers for Pregnant Patients

How many doctors are in the practice? Will I see them all?

We have six female providers at Women’s Health Associates. While we don’t make our patients see all of our physicians, we do encourage you to rotate your visits, so if by chance another doctor is on call to deliver your baby, it will not be the first time you meet.

Who will deliver my baby?

At WHA, our doctors make every attempt to deliver their own patients. If the patient goes into labor on a day that the doctor works, the physician will deliver the patient. If a patient schedules an induction or c-section, the physician will deliver the patient.If a patient delivers in the evening, on a weekend where that doctor is not on call, or when their doctor is on vacation, one of their partner physicians who are on call will deliver the patient. We do not share call with other practices or physicians outside WHA, so you can rest assured that one of our providers will be there for you.

How many babies has the practice delivered and how long have they been in practice?

WHA was established in 1993 and we deliver approximately 1200 babies each year amongst our six providers.

Are the physicians Board Certified in Obstetrics?

Yes, our physicians are all board certified and feel it’s of importance to remain board certified.

What is the experience of the nursing staff?

WHA boasts a high percentage of our nursing staff as licensed professionals, whether it is LPN or RN. In fact, 73% of our nursing staff is licensed, which can be rare in an OB/GYN medical practice setting. We have 4 nurses with Labor & Delivery experience in a hospital setting, and 12 of our 15 nurses have been on staff at WHA for over 4 years. We are also unique in the fact that there is consistently the same nurse working with the same physician, and most have worked together as a team for quite some time.

What are the nurse phone call return policies for questions and emergencies?

Our nurses check messages at least every hour, and we are able to return a call same day, while some practices may take up to two days to return calls. Any “emergency” calls (emergency defined by the patient) are handled immediately. Those patients are able to talk directly with a nurse and have the questions addressed with one phone call. We also have a 24/7 answering service so our patients can reach a physician at all times.

What is the accessibility to providers and how long will I have to wait to make an appointment?

WHA offers outstanding accessibility for our patients. For issues or problems, our patients are typically able to be seen by a provider same day. Most patients can be seen by a provider within two weeks of calling to make their appointment for routine visits and some providers can be seen within the week.

Do you have an ultrasound/sonogram in the office?

We are proud to offer sonograms in the office as a convenience to our patients. We even have capabilities to do 3-D sonograms in the office and offer fun scans where the patient can see what the baby looks like (for an additional charge). Please discuss this service at your new patient appointment for further details.

What should I expect at my first appointment?

You will be seen by one of our OB Coordinators who will do bloodwork to confirm your pregnancy. She will meet with you in a private office setting to answer any questions you may have, review the policies of the office and what you can expect while under our care. She will direct you to important resources available to you. Prior to this appointment, we recommend you visit our website and download our free patient guide of what to expect while you’re expecting from Women’s Health Associates (you’ll also receive a copy at your first visit). That website is www.womenshealthkc.com. You can also join us on Facebook for informational videos, patient stories and more. After this initial consultation with an OB Coordinator, you will schedule your first clinical visit with your provider of choice.

Do you offer payment plans?

At WHA, we are sensitive to the financial burden medical bills can place on a family and our patients. We feel it’s important to work with our patients and have a dedicated team of billing and insurance experts who can explain your options and help determine what is best for you. We also pre certify a patient’s pregnancy with her insurance carrier to make it more convenient for our patients as they navigate their insurance benefits.

At what hospitals do you deliver?

We deliver at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Shawnee Mission, KS.

Close up picture of new born baby feet in knitted plaid