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SURGERY AUTHORIZATION AND FEES
• OrthoArizona’s team will check benefits and obtain surgery authorization from your insurance company.
• Some procedures involve computer navigation or robotic assistance, which may not be covered by your
insurance. You will be notified if we receive notification of non-covered services. Non-covered services must be
paid prior to your preoperative visit.
• Once your insurance benefits are verified, you will receive a text message and email from OrthoArizona detailing
any payments due before your surgery. You may provide payment by cash, check, money order, Visa or
Mastercard. OrthoArizona now applies a 3% surcharge to credit card payments to offset processing costs. There
are no fees for cash, check, or debit.
• You may receive separate bills after surgery from the hospital, anesthesia group, hospitalist medical team that
may evaluate you while in the hospital, surgical assist, and from OrthoArizona. You may contact the facility where
you will be having your procedure to obtain a quote if there is anything your insurance won’t cover.

Billing questions? Call (866) 580-2124

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR SURGERY

BODY MASS INDEX
We want your new joint to last for you. One of the ways to help with
this is to control your body weight. For surgery, your BMI (body mass
index) needs to be less than 35 kg/m². Every pound you can lose
before or after surgery takes 5 to 6 pounds of force off your affected
hip or knee! We are aware that arthritic joint pain limits your ability
to stay active. Most of the time weight loss can still be accomplished
with nutritional changes or medications, and we are happy to refer
you to a bariatric specialist if you need help losing weight.

YOU MUST STOP ALL TOBACCO/SMOKING/NICOTINE

Using nicotine in any form (cigarettes, vaping, chew, and even patches)
has been shown to slow bone and wound healing. If you use nicotine, it
is crucial to stop this to improve your health before surgery and to give
yourself the best chance of having a good outcome.

Dr. Eccles, for this reason, does not permit nicotine use before surgery because it significantly increases your risk of an
uncontrollable infection, leading to devastating complications such as losing your leg! Nicotine use must be completely
stopped at least 6 weeks and preferably longer before your surgery. We can and will test for this. For more
information or help, contact your Primary Care Physician, call 1-800-55-66-222 or visit https://www.azdhs.gov/ashline/.

ILLNESS BEFORE SURGERY

It is crucial that you have your total joint surgery during a time when you are in your best health to optimize the outcome.
If you become sick (have a persistent fever, cold, flu, urinary tract infection, tooth infection, open sores, or any
other type of illness) within two weeks before surgery, please let us know. It can be dangerous to have surgery if you
are not feeling well. Bacteria that may be making you sick could also cause a joint infection if you undergo surgery.

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