Welcome to Northshore Health Centers' FAQ page, where we address common questions to enhance your understanding of our services. Whether you're seeking information about our medical offerings, appointment scheduling, insurance coverage, or general inquiries, our FAQ section aims to provide clear and concise answers.
General FAQs
NorthShore is not a free clinic, however, we take all forms of insurance including Medicaid, HIP, Medicare, and private/commercial insurance plans. NorthShore also offers a sliding-scale or discounted self-pay option based on income for those with no medical insurance or high insurance deductibles.
Based on yearly household income, patients who qualify can pay from a minimum of $25 (0% on the sliding scale) up to $65 (100% on the sliding scale) for an office visit. This sliding-scale does not cover lab and other outside fees, however, as those prices are set by third-party providers.
Yes, we see everyone! No patient will be denied medical care regardless of age, sex, race, religion, or ability to pay for service. Our payment options include: Private or Commercial Insurance, Medicaid, HIP, Medicare, and a discounted self-pay option for the uninsured or underinsured.
NorthShore Health Centers’ vision is for all who seek our services, regardless of sex, age, income, social or cultural standing, or health condition, to have access to quality health services in a setting that promotes continuous, comprehensive health care. First, NorthShore wants to be
recognized as the best quality health care facility in the community, and secondly to be among the top-ranked community health centers in the country.
Our facilities employ board certified general practitioners, obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, prenatal care coordinators, and community in reach and outreach workers. Behavioral Health Consultants work with our Primary Care Providers to ensure that emotional
and behavioral issues are addressed as well as physical ones. We address your entire health and wellbeing and service is provided regardless of ability to pay.
Our entire organization from the governing board to the individual staff members participate in a
systematic effort to improve the quality of health care and other services provided at NorthShore. The efforts to achieve quality are collaborative in nature and focus on assessing and improving our operating efficiency and outcomes for all departments.
Based on location, NorthShore offers Family Practice, Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Vision, Dental, Mental Health, Podiatry, Pharmacy and Chiropractic.
Patients are seen on both a scheduled and walk-in basis. After-hours services for urgent needs are also available at many of our locations including Saturdays at our Portage, Lake Station and Hammond clinics. Patients can either schedule an appointment online or call us at (219) 763-8112.
We have NorthShore locations throughout Porter, Lake, La Porte and Jasper Counties. We are located in Portage, Chesterton, Demotte, LaPorte, Gary, East Chicago, Crown Point, Merrillville, Hammond, and Lake Station.
In order to obtain a copy of your medical records or the medical records of your minor children, you can come to any of the NorthShore Health Center clinics and complete an ‘Authorization to Release Medical Information.’ Please also bring a photo ID of yourself as it will be requested to verify your identity prior to the release of the medical records.
Although federal guidelines allow a healthcare provider up to 30 days to process a request for medical records, we make every effort to fulfill releases within 1-2 business days. As a courtesy to our patients we do not charge a fee for copies of a patient’s own medical records or that of their minor children.
If you would like someone other than yourself to be able to pick up your medical records (or the records of your minor child), you must complete a ‘Disclosure of Protected Health Information’ form. These forms can be obtained from any of our clinics and they are valid for up to one year after the form has been completed.
If you’d like your medical records transferred from your previous provider, you must contact them and request to have your medical records released and sent to NorthShore.
Family Practice
During business hours, patients can call 219-763-8112 to speak one of our Clinical Operators. Our Clinical Operators will assist properly assist patients with clinical questions including connect them with their provider when necessary.
If you are having a medical emergency, patients should call 911 or visit the emergency room. During the hours of 5pm to 8pm, we operate with limited staff and services. For request such as medication refills, test results or scheduling an appointment, it is best to call during our normal business hours of 8am to 5pm. For non-emergency medical questions, our afterhours phone service can connect you with our on-call provider to advise on the best course of action until NorthShore reopens.
History and complete physical exam, vital sign measurement, height/weight/BMI, annual blood tests as appropriate, update of health promotion screenings as appropriate such as breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, colon cancer screening, etc.
Telehealth visits should be limited and performed only when absolutely necessary. Situations that are appropriate for telehealth may include a one-time medication refill, early signs of an upper respiratory infection, consultation/questions for the provider, etc.
Past medical history, past surgical history, family history, all current medications (please bring prescription bottles to appointment when you are establishing care), any other medical providers or specialists you are seeing and their contact information, allergies.
If you are uninsured or underinsured, NorthShore Health Centers has trained Navigators available to assist you with insurance options and eliminate any barriers to your health and wellness needs. Navigators can provide enrollment assistance with Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, SNAP, TANF, Insurance paperwork assistance, community resources, Primary care physician changes and more!
Normal blood pressure for most adults is defined as a systolic pressure of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure of less than 80.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 out of every 10 deaths among Americans each year are caused by chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Often times, preventative measures can be taken to avoid the onset of these diseases including a close relationship with your doctor and healthcare team.
The doctors and nurse practitioners at NorthShore will discuss ways to stay healthy such as healthy eating, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco use, and receiving preventative services such as regular wellness visits, required vaccinations and recommended screenings for all stages of your life.
Yes. It is very important to keep taking medications because that is what's helping with BP and cholesterol
Telehealth
A telehealth appointment allows you to discuss your medical concerns with your medical provider over the phone or video conference without visiting the clinic in person.
A telehealth visit can be used to evaluate most mild to moderate illnesses, including concerns about infection with COVID-19. A telehealth visit is also often appropriate to manage ongoing health conditions like asthma, diabetes, and depression.
Currently all of our psychiatry, behavioral health and substance abuse counseling appointments are being done via telehealth. Call (219) 763-8112 to find out if you qualify for a telehealth appointment.
Scheduling a telehealth appointment is the same as scheduling a regular in-clinic appointment. Call us at (219)763-8112 and let the scheduling staff know that you would like to make a telehealth appointment.
Your provider will call you at your scheduled appointment time. When scheduling your appointment, be sure to give the scheduling staff the best phone number for your provider to call. Please make sure you are waiting by your phone up to 30 minutes before and after your scheduled appointment since provider may be ready earlier or later due to unexpected complications with other patient visits.
OB/GYN
We offer most forms of contraception. Birth control pills, IUD’s, Nuvaing, Depo Provera, and Nexplanon. Our Ob/GYN MD’s offer bilateral tubal ligations (tubes tied). We do not offer diaphragms, spermicides, or sponges.
We offer prenatal care at most NorthShore Locations with WHNP, Midwives and Physicians. We specialize in high quality low to high risk care. Throughout your pregnancy a Prenatal Nurse will meet with you to provide education on each trimester and will be available to you to answer any questions you may have.
We offer the following resources as needed: Baby items, food assistance, housing assistance, Healthy Families, Healthy Start, maternity items, nutritional programs, pregnancy dental care, transportation, WIC (Women, Infant, Child), 3D/4D ultrasound, hospital education classes, lactation program, pregnancy back brace, car seat program and safe sleep program.
You can contact NW Health to schedule a tour of their unit.
We work with Hoosier Doula.
Yes! talk to your provider about your birth plan.
Typically, up to 3 people are allowed in the delivery room, but if you'd like to have more, talk with your provider and they can individualize all care here at Northshore.
It's recommended that a pap smear should be done every 3 years from 21-30 and every 5 years from 30-65.
Yes! Talk to your provider about alternative pain management.
3D ultrasounds use sound waves at a pitch much higher than what you or your baby can hear (think of a dog whistle). These sound waves echo back to the ultrasound machine. The 3D ultrasound machine sends these waves at different angles, analyzes the echoes, and forms a 3D image. The 4D portion of the ultrasound is a movie clip of your baby in 3D, where the fourth dimension is time. You can see your baby in 3D moving over time, and this movie is saved as a short video clip.
In 35 years of widespread, almost universal use of ultrasounds, there has not been a single known case of a miscarriage or abnormality attributed to the use of ultrasounds. Its safety profile has been proven over the decades. Note: Women undergoing in vitro fertilization have to receive an obstetric ultrasound every week, and even in these cases, there has been no report of any harm or risk to the baby or mother.
In our experience, the best time to get the clearest images on 3D ultrasound is between 24 and 30 weeks, with weeks 26-28 being ideal. After 30 weeks, the baby may have already begun his or her descent to the outside world.
On the day of the ultrasound have breakfast or lunch, then, if you are not diabetic, drink something with sugar in it just before you come in for the ultrasound. The bladder does not have to be full for the exam.
Because the 3D/4D Ultrasound is an elective non-diagnostic procedure, you are required to pay by cash, credit card, or with our Gift Certificate at the time of your appointment.
For an additional charge, if you have a Physician’s order, the 2D diagnostic ultrasound can be completed during your 3D/4D Ultrasound session. When you call to schedule your 3D/4D Ultrasound appointment, inform the scheduler that you are also interested in having a 2D diagnostic ultrasound at the same time. You can discuss with the scheduler any other preparation steps necessary to complete the 2D diagnostic Ultrasound.
NorthShore Health Center’s can file a claim through your insurance provider. If the diagnostic test is not covered, you are responsible for the charges using NorthShore’s sliding fee schedule.
Lab
Lab results can take up to 5-7 business days.
No. Walk-ins are welcome, however, NorthShore cannot control your wait time if you choose not to set an appointment.
Pediatrics
Parents know to bring their child to the pediatrician when they are sick, but remember a trip to the doctor is just as important for healthy children.
The Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed a schedule which recommends each age from infancy through adolescence a child should see the pediatrician along with suggested screenings and assessments to be completed for each well-child visits.
Your pediatrician will discuss immunization options to prevent illness as well as discuss, safety and address any other concerns you might have as your child grows. You will also be able to see how much your child has grown since your last visit as well as and talk with your pediatrician about your child’s development. Your doctor might discuss your child’s milestones, learning and social behaviors.
Visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html to see Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age chart.
If your baby is not feeling well, you should contact your pediatrician or health care provider if your baby is experiencing any of the symptoms below.
• Fever of 100.3 degrees or higher
• Hard to wake up or less active
• Poor eating
• Crying without stopping & hard to comfort
• More than 4 watery stools in 8 hours
• Decreased urine or fewer than 6 wet diapers in 24 hours
• Eye redness/drainage
• Redness, swelling, or pus around cord or genitals
• Cough that disrupts baby’s sleep
• Heavy breathing
• Rash with or without fever
• Vomiting
If your child is not feeling well, watch carefully for signs and symptoms. Some children may not be able to tell you about their symptoms, which can delay your response to their illness.
Fever
A fever is a temperature measured by mouth with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). If you are not able to measure a temperature, signs and symptoms that may indicate your child has a fever include chills, feeling very warm to the touch, having a flushed appearance, or sweating.
Flu
Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and tiredness. Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.
Mental Health
Yes, through psychiatry or psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Yes, NorthShore offers collaborative services through our primary care providers alongside addiction counselors in an effort to provide access to Vivitrol services to patients in need within the community. A select number of NorthShore providers oversee the medical services within the program and give the injections to the patients monthly. Patients in the program are required to participate in counseling services in conjunction with the medication assisted treatment.
A referral must be given by a Northshore provider before seeing a provider in behavioral health.
School Clinics
This service does not replace the school nurse, but allows the nurse practitioner, school nurse, and other school staff to best care for each and every student. If a child is not feeling well, their teacher would send them to the school nurse as usual. The school nurse would then connect with the nurse practitioner to diagnose and treat the child with the parent’s consent. The school nurse will contact and update the parent throughout the process to ensure both child and parent are provided the best possible care.
NorthShore Health Centers offers telehealth services within the school district allowing students to have a virtual visit with a licensed healthcare provider from the school nurse’s office. Using special equipment and cameras, the healthcare provider can get a close up look at the student’s eyes, ears, skin, and throat. The provider can even listen to the student’s heart and lungs through a virtual stethoscope.
The Nurse Practitioner may rotate throughout the schools providing schedule in-person services such as sport physicals or immunizations or connect via telehealth when students at other schools are not feeling well.
Services provided via telehealth will be billed the same way as an in-person regular doctor visit. If you do not have insurance or if it does not cover the visit, we will work with the family on a case-by-case basis. No student will be denied services because of the inability to pay.
If you do not have insurance or if it does not cover the visit, we will work with the family on a case-by-case basis. NorthShore offers self-pay discounts options determined according to a slide scale based on income and has other options for financial assistance if needed. No student will be denied services because of the inability to pay.
NorthShore Health Centers has opened a school-based health center at several schools through the area. Depending on the location, NorthShore’s school-based health center provide a variety of comprehensive preventive and primary healthcare services to students during the
school day.
Written consents signed by parents are required for students before services can be provided by NorthShore/School clinic is offered at.
Dental
We offer a wide range of dental services, including routine check-ups, periodontal cleanings, fillings, extractions, crowns, bridges, and dentures. Root Canals are coming soon.
The duration of dental procedures varies depending on the type and complexity of the treatment. Routine check-ups and cleanings usually take around 60 minutes, while more involved procedures like Bridges and root canals take several hours of chair time. Our experienced dentists will provide you with a personalized treatment plan and an estimate of the time required for each procedure.
The time it takes to receive dental appliances depends on several factors. For custom-made appliances like crowns and bridges, the process usually involves taking impressions, manufacturing the appliance in a dental lab, and ensuring a proper fit. This typically takes two weeks. Dentures and partials require four to five appointments over eight to ten weeks.
Children (ages 17 and younger) typically receive a dental cleaning on the same day they are seen for their first exam. Adult patients may have more complicated dental needs and are scheduled with the dentist for evaluation first to ensure that the correct amount of time can be allocated for a cleaning. We will always strive to make your first visit as streamlined as possible. However, depending on appointment availability, a dental cleaning may need to be scheduled another day following the first exam appointment.
NorthShore accepts "walk-in" dental emergencies for immediate problems such as tooth pain, infection, and swelling. We will take relevant X-rays to diagnose the problem, create a treatment plan to resolve the issue and prescribe appropriate medication to manage pain or infection. Depending on the nature of the problem, treatment such as extractions and periodontal procedures may be done at our offices or may need to be referred to an appropriate specialist.
Vision
Your eyes should be checked after 1 year of last exam.
Glasses typically can take up to 2 weeks. Any delays would be communicated to patient if it will go beyond 2 weeks.
Extra testing for contacts can vary for different reasons but mostly if the patient is a new contact wearer it can be to make sure the contacts are a good fit for the patient. If a patient is trying a new brand, there is a follow up to make sure it's a good fit sometimes as well. If the patient has never worn contacts the patient has to be fit for contacts and also go through an insert and removal class with one of the techs or opticians.
From what I've seen most of the care credit cards don't go through but some have. I just tell the patient that I can attempt to take the payment and let them know if it declines, they can choose to pay out of pocket or cancel the order. If they want to use it for an exam, you can attempt to
charge them for the visit before they see the doctor so that they know in advance if it would work.
We do take walk ins. Appointments are better for the patient so they don't have a wait time because we will see our appointments first and squeeze them in when we can.
Many CareCredit credit cards are not accepted, however, we will attempt to take the payment. If the card is declined, patients can choose to pay out of pocket or cancel their order. If patients want to use CareCredit for an exam, we will attempt to charge for the visit first before seeing the doctor.
We have some higher brand frames, however if they are looking for brands like (Gucci, Ray Ban, tiffany, MK, Kate Spade, MCM, Nike, etc.) we don't carry these name brands.
Yes, exams can be billed as our mission is to provide access to care and not turn patients away. Contact fittings should be paid for but can be applied to the sliding fee scale for discount. However, for glasses, contacts, or any material we require payment in order to process orders.
We do not make lenses for the patient’s own frame.
We don't stock supplied contacts; they will always have to be ordered. This too can take up to two weeks.
Good candidacy for contacts can very. If patients are a previous wearer then yes. However, each patient is different and should meet with an optician or techs to gather more details for assessment.
We no longer do contact fittings for outside Rx's.
We do not sell trial contacts.
We have Optometrist.
Medicaid does as long as it's available and it depends on the plan with Medicare.
Pharmacy
NorthShore Pharmacies are 340b non-profit In-house pharmacies. If you want to take advantage of the special 340b pricing, you are required to see one of our NorthShore providers and only those prescriptions can be filled at NorthShore pharmacies with 340b medications. Exceptions are given if you have a referral from one of our providers to see an outside provider.
If a NorthShore provider sends you to an outside provider such as a specialist ( e.g. Dermatologist), a referral is generated within our EMR which allows our pharmacies to fill prescriptions from your specialist for 1 year, at which time your referral must be renewed by our provider.
Yes, your provider can send your prescription to the pharmacy of your choice. Keep in mind that not all medications are available with 340b pricing so it is a good idea to ask the provider or NorthShore pharmacy if your medications are available 340b, especially if it is an expensive or hard to find medication.
It can take up to 15 minutes for the pharmacy to actually receive the Rx from the doctor/provider as it needs to be routed from the physician’s computer system to the pharmacy’s computer system. Once the pharmacy receives the Rx, it is usually processed within 5-10 minutes as long as they have not received a high volume at one time.
The Pharmacist is not able quote an exact price until the Rx is actually run through the computer system. However, NorthShore does participate in the government’s 340B program which allows NorthShore patients prescription medication at a discount.
Podiatry
A podiatrist is a medical and surgically trained physician to treat the foot and ankle. They are licensed physicians with 4 years of Podiatric Medical School training and 2-3 years of surgical residency training. They receive a degree title of DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine)
The scope of practice can vary from state to state, but here in Indiana, the scope allows care above the ankle, with ankle fractures and Achilles tendon surgeries common.
Podiatrists participate in both private and public health insurance plans
- Any skin or nail condition
- Heel pain
- Bunions
- Hammertoes
- Ankle sprains
- Tendonitis and tendon injury
- Severe injuries such as burns, crush injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and the like
- Flat feet
- Arthritis including Rheumatoid
- Nerve pain and nerve injury
- Sports injuries
- Diabetic foot care
We accept all ages from pediatrics to senior citizens
We do care for injuries associated with workman's comp and personal injury.
There can be coverage limitations, including coverage for things like orthotics. Also, what is known as routine foot care (often associated with seniors who have fungal nails or require diabetic foot care) has coverage limitations based on medical necessity. We work in conjunction with your primary care to certify your need for some care.
Chiropractic
Yes, all our chiropractors are trained to use gentle techniques with our hands and instruments, so you don't have to worry about being cracked.
No, it is up to you to determine how long you want to benefit from chiropractic care. Once someone feels better, they often want to come in periodically to maintain their health.
Yes, we adjust babies daily. We use gentle techniques to improve the function of their nervous system. It is better to grow healthy kids, instead of fixing broken adults.
Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common like neck, back and shoulder pain, but we also get great results with headaches and many other conditions. Our goal is to improve nervous system function to heal the body regardless of the symptom.
Weight Loss Clinic
The Weight Loss Clinic is run by Dr. Aditya Shah who has additional certifications in weight loss management. He does practice out of our Hammond clinic. If you are unable to travel to Hammond, we have many other family practice providers at our other locations who can assist in weight loss management. Our endocrinology department is also available to help with weight loss particularly related to diabetes and hormone or gland concerns that might be causing weight gain. An appointment with a primary care physician or nurse practitioner at one of our other clinics would be your first step as they would then be able to provide the right course of action for your individual situation.
NorthShore’s weight loss clinic is considered a medical weight loss clinic and is different from many other weight loss programs. Medical weight loss is meant for individuals that are experiencing serious health problems due to obesity or other health concerns such as diabetes and need guidance from a healthcare professional to lose weight in order to improve their overall health. The provider will offer treatment plans based on the individual’s need versus following a structured program meant to work for anyone.
Insurance coverage varies based on the insurance carrier and plan. Since NorthShore’s weight loss clinic is specific to medial weight loss, patients with a qualifying BMI or medical condition related to obesity are likely to qualify for reimbursement. NorthShore also has a 340B Pharmacy offering lower medication costs than retail pharmacies allowing patients the best option to pay for medications if recommended in their treatment plan.
In most cases, medication is prescribed to aid in weight loss efforts. The decision to use medication is based on individual factors, including the patient’s medical history, body mass index (BMI), and response to non-medical interventions. Also, cost of the medication and insurance coverage plays a big role in the type of medication chosen for the individual patient.
Weight loss is a process that requires time and lifestyle changes to be effective. Your initial consultation will be used to gather patient information and medical history and provide a personalized treatment plan addressing diet, physical activity, behavior modification, and medication recommendations. Follow up appointments will made monitor patient’s progress and adjust treatment plan as needed. Additional support is provided with health educator through one-on-one consultations to discuss goals, meal planning, etc. or through group education classes.
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