Question 1

How much do you charge per visit?

Accepted Answer

If you are self-paying, our office visits are $150 for new patients, and $100/visit thereafter. Please note that a $10 fee is added if you are paying by credit card.
If you are insured, you will be responsible for any co-pay required by your insurance at the time of your visit. Co-pay amounts will depend on your specific insurance plan.

Question 2

What type of insurance do you accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept most major insurance plans. Please call your insurance company or our office to find out if we accept your plan, and whether the services you seek are covered. For example, our medical and surgical care typically is covered by insurance, while our integrative medicine services typically are not.
Patients remain responsible for any co-payments, co-insurance, and/or deductibles due at the time of their appointment.

Question 3

Are all of your services covered by insurance?

Accepted Answer

No. Our integrative medicine services are not typically covered by insurance. Please plan to self-pay for these services at the time you receive them.

Question 4

How much will my insurance company pay, and how much will I be responsible for?

Accepted Answer

It will be different based on your particular insurance plan. Please contact your insurance carrier for more information, or you can call us at (718) 743-4450.

Question 5

What does it mean if you are an “out of network” provider under my insurance plan?

Accepted Answer

It means you will be required to pay a larger portion of the costs involved – because we will receive significantly less from your insurance company.

Question 6

How do I pay you?

Accepted Answer

For your convenience, we accept cash and most major credit cards. Please note that a credit card fee is applied to those transactions, so you may want to consider paying co-pays, etc., with cash.
Payments are due at the time of service – for any services not covered by insurance (such as our integrative medicine options). For services that are covered by insurance, we will bill your insurance for you. However, you remain responsible for paying any required co-payments, co-insurance, or deductibles at the time of your appointment.

Question 7

Do you accept self-pay (noninsured) patients?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! The same payment rules apply ($150 for new patients, $100/visit thereafter), but we are happy to see and treat patients who choose to self-pay for whatever reason. Please note that if you are paying by credit card, you will incur an additional fee.

Question 8

Will I need to file my own insurance claim?

Accepted Answer

As a courtesy to our patients, we will file all insurance claims for services rendered.

Question 9

Do you assist in filling out disability/FMLA/workers’ comp paperwork? How long does it take?

Accepted Answer

All forms are processed within 10–14 business days. Dr. Fulmes’ representative will contact you by phone once the forms are complete and can be picked up or mailed to your home address. Dr. Fulmes charges a $10 fee for this service.

Question 10

How long has Dr. Fulmes been in practice?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Fulmes has more than 30 years of surgical experience. He has been in private practice since 2012. Find out more by reading his biography.

Question 11

What are his qualifications?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Fulmes is a board-certified colorectal surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of colon and rectal diseases. Read more about Dr. Fulmes in his biography.

Question 12

What does it mean that Dr. Fulmes is “board certified”?

Accepted Answer

Board certification is an additional, voluntary process that demonstrates your doctor has proven their knowledge and training in a specific field of medicine. Not all surgeons are board certified – make sure yours is.

Question 13

Which hospitals is Dr. Fulmes associated with?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Fulmes has hospital and surgery center privileges with:

All City Family Healthcare Center (same-day surgery center in Brooklyn)
New York Community Hospital (Brooklyn)
New York - Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (Brooklyn)
Mount Sinai Queens

Question 14

What languages does Dr. Fulmes speak?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Fulmes is fluent in English, Ukranian, Russian, and Polish.

Question 15

What if I need to contact the doctor after hours?

Accepted Answer

Please call Colorectal Care at (718) 743-4450 if you have an urgent need after regular business hours. The phone is manned 24 hours a day – and your call will be returned promptly. We urge you to call only when needed, however, and to respect the doctor’s right to rest.

Question 16

How do I schedule an appointment?

Accepted Answer

Simply call our general office number at (718) 743-4450 and speak with our scheduling operator.

Question 17

How will I know my appointment is confirmed?

Accepted Answer

Our scheduling operator will confirm your appointment via telephone 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time. Or you can confirm it using prompts via a text message we send you.

Question 18

How quickly can I get an appointment?

Accepted Answer

It will depend on Dr. Fulmes’ availability and your particular symptoms, but we are typically able to provide appointments within two weeks. Call Colorectal Care now at (718) 743-4450 to schedule your appointment – or simply request one now.

Question 19

Are weekend appointments available?

Accepted Answer

We are open on some Saturdays at our Brooklyn location (see that page for more details).

Question 20

What are your hours of operation?

Accepted Answer

Our office hours vary, depending on the office location.
Our Brooklyn office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday – plus some Saturdays. Here’s the schedule:
Monday: 9 am – 5 pm
Tuesday: 11 am – 5 pm
Thursday: 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 1 pm (biweekly, schedule varies)
Our Astoria, Queens office is open the first Wednesday of each month, from 9 am – 5 pm, although the schedule may vary. Patients are seen by appointment only.
Our Manhattan office is open on the first and third Fridays of each month, from 11 am – 5 pm, although the schedule may vary. Patients are seen by appointment only..

Question 21

How many locations do you have?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Fulmes currently sees patients at three locations: in Brooklyn, Astoria (Queens), and Manhattan.

Question 22

How do I get to your office?

Accepted Answer

Here are our directions (you can also find more information on each location page):
Brooklyn
2647 Coney Island Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11223
We are located between Neck Road and Sheepshead Bay Q train stations, within a 10-15-minute distance on foot. Also, the 68 bus stop is located right next to our Brooklyn office.
Astoria, Queens
30-16 30th Drive
Astoria, NY 11102
We are located one block away from the 30th Ave. subway station for the N and W trains. Please note that 30th Drive is the small street between 30th Avenue and 31st Avenue.
Manhattan
372 Central Park West, Suite 1D
Manhattan, NY 10025
We are conveniently located on the first floor (end of the corridor, to the right) of an apartment building at the corner of Central Park and West 96th Street. We are easily accessible via the B and C train lines. We are right next to the 96th Street subway station – use the exit at 97th Street.

Question 23

Do you provide transportation?

Accepted Answer

We do not offer transportation to or from our office. However, you should be able to schedule a car service – the cost of which will depend on your particular insurance plan. Patients are responsible for scheduling and paying for their transportation to or from the office.

Question 24

What documents do I need to bring to my appointment?

Accepted Answer

We will need to see your ID and insurance card. Also, if you are a new patient, feel free to print out the forms in advance, fill them out, and bring them with you to your appointment. This will save you time in our office.

Question 25

Why do you need a copy of my insurance card at every visit?

Accepted Answer

This allows us to verify your current insurance coverage. Any change in your insurance plan may delay your claim being paid in a timely fashion.

Question 26

How early do I need to arrive for my appointment?

Accepted Answer

If you are a new patient, please be sure to arrive at least 20 minutes early in order to complete the necessary paperwork. If you are a returning patient, please arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.

Question 27

How long will my first appointment last?

Accepted Answer

Appointments vary in length of time and depend on many factors. In most cases, your appointment will last from 15 to 30 minutes. For new patients it may be longer.

Question 28

Do I need a referral for an appointment?

Accepted Answer

In many cases, your insurance provider will not approve an appointment unless referred by a primary care physician. Please check with your insurance provider as to their policies.

Question 29

What if I can't make my appointment and I need to reschedule?

Accepted Answer

Please call our office at (718) 743-4450 as soon as you realize you will not be able to keep your appointment. We prefer all cancellations be made at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment time. This will allow provide another patient the opportunity to be seen. In addition, late cancellations may lead to a cancellation fee.

Question 30

What if I can't make my appointment and I need to reschedule?

Accepted Answer

Please call our office at (718) 743-4450 as soon as you realize you will not be able to keep your appointment. We prefer all cancellations be made at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment time. This will allow provide another patient the opportunity to be seen. In addition, late cancellations may lead to a cancellation fee.

Question 31

What is your cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

There is $50 cancellation fee for canceling less than 24 hours before your appointment.
For surgeries, you need to notify us about your desire to cancel 1 to 2 weeks before your scheduled procedure.
Our practice is very busy. By providing us adequate cancellation notice, you allow another patient to be scheduled for your time. In addition, obtaining proper insurance authorization and medical clearance can take up to 2 weeks.

Question 32

Medical Emergencies

Accepted Answer

In the event of a life-threatening medical emergency, call emergency medical services at 911 immediately. DO NOT WAIT! Inform the emergency room staff that you are a patient of Dr. Fulmes at Colorectal Care and they will contact us.

Question 33

After Hours Urgent Medical Needs

Accepted Answer

If you have an urgent medical need and need to talk to Dr. Fulmes after our regular hours, please call our office at (718) 743-4450. A doctor is on-call 24 hours a day for urgent cases.

Question 34

Insurance / Payment / Billing

Accepted Answer

At Colorectal Care, we accept most major insurance plans. Please contact your insurance company, or you may call our office at (718) 743-4450 to find out if we accept your plan. If your insurance plan requires you to pay a co-payment, co-insurance, and/or a deductible, you will need to pay at the time of your visit. For your convenience we accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
Please note that our integrative medicine services are not covered by insurance in most cases, and our patients must self-pay for these services at the time services are received.
If you have a question related to your bill or insurance, please contact our billing specialists at (718) 725-7203 or  (718) 743-4450.

Question 35

Referrals

Accepted Answer

If your insurance is an HMO/managed care plan and you are required to obtain a referral from your primary care physician, the referral must be obtained before you can be seen for an office visit for our colorectal care and/or surgery. Please coordinate this with your primary care physician in advance. Appointments will be rescheduled if required referrals are not received in the office by the time of your visit.

Question 36

Hospital & Surgery Center Affiliations

Accepted Answer

Dr. Fulmes at Colorectal Care has hospital or surgery center affiliations with:
All City Family Healthcare Center (same-day surgery center in Brooklyn)
New York Community Hospital (Brooklyn)
New York - Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (Brooklyn)
Mount Sinai Queens

Question 37

Prescription Requests

Accepted Answer

Prescriptions and refills for established patients of Colorectal Care are routinely issued during our regular office hours (see above). You can make your request by calling our office at (718) 743-4450.
Refills are generally not issued during the evenings, weekends, or holidays, as the doctor may not have access to all your medical records during those times. It is helpful to anticipate your refill needs to avoid an interruption in your medication therapy.