Financial policy
We are committed to providing you with the best possible care. Like in any other place of business, people are more comfortable if they have some knowledge of our financial policy before arriving. Charges vary based on the type of services and products provided. We appreciate your assistance in helping keep smooth this aspect of your care.Private Pay (No Insurance)
Referrals are not required, insurance benefits are not applicable and payment for services and products is due at the time of service. For larger preplanned operations, payment is due ahead of time. We accept cash, personal checks and MasterCard or Visa credit cards. We do not process debit cards or ATM.
Private Insurance (Non-Contracted)
We are contracted with many insurance plans but if you have a plan outside of our contracts they will frequently approve your services with us. Referrals will not be required prior to your visit. For your own protection, in order to be reimbursed by your insurance company, contact the insurance company about their policy on referrals prior to arriving here.
Benefits with respect to your care should be clarified with your insurance company to ensure that your care is a covered benefit. Payment for services and products is due at the time of your visit. We accept cash, personal checks and MasterCard or Visa credit cards. We do not process debit cards or ATM. Please feel free to discuss our policies with our office manager, Mimi Watkins, if there are questions or concerns. Your contract with your insurance company has no bearing on your responsibility for payment to us. We will submit an insurance claim to your primary insurance company on your behalf after receiving payment from you.
PPO (Blue Cross, Blue Shield, First Health, etc.)
Referrals are not required by traditional PPO plans. Several new changes in coverage exist, however. If there is any question about this, please speak with your insurance company prior to arrival here. Please verify that your plan offers no additional benefit with the use of a referral. Benefits are normally covered for most of our non-cosmetic services, except for pre-existing conditions. In order to confirm a covered benefit, it would be useful for you to confirm that with your particular plan prior to arrival here.
Payment requirements differ with each PPO. Most plans require payment of a yearly deductible amount of $100 - 1,000 and then a 10 - 30% portion of services. Some PPO plans offer a $5 - 25 co-payment for office visits with a subsequent deductible and percentage payment on all additional services. Please read your insurance company guidebook carefully or call your insurance company to clarify your financial responsibility prior to your arrival here. Our charge at the time of visit may well include a percentage of services due at that time. We accept cash, personal checks and MasterCard or Visa credit cards. We do not process debit cards or ATM.
HMO and EPO (Blue Cross, Health Net, etc.)
Referrals are required by all HMOs and EPOs before having specialty care. Because of the complexity in obtaining referrals, prior to our scheduling appointments, all referrals must be received by our office. While waiting for a referral this may cause inconvenience and frustration. Without a proper referral, however, you could be held fully responsible for the cost of the visit. Mimi Watkins, our office manager, will help you with the process of referral if your attempts with your referring doctor have not resulted in a referral. If you must be seen prior to the availability of a referral, please stop by the office or fax us our office waiver signed by you agreeing to pay out of pocket for the visit prior to scheduling your appointment.
Benefits vary depending on individual HMOs. Please call your insurance company if you need additional information to verify that your services will be covered. A referral for services does not guarantee payment for a non-covered service. A phone call or two for clarification certainly outweighs the shock of needing to pay a payment due in full. HMO patients normally have a contract requiring that a co-payment be made at each visit. If you are unable to pay the co-pay at the time of service an additional administrative charge of $5 per visit will pertain. Co-pay amounts vary greatly based upon individual plans and groups. If the co-pay amount is not listed on your card then a quick phone call to your insurance company before your visit will tell you the correct co-payment for your individual plan. We accept cash, personal checks and MasterCard or Visa credit cards. We do not process debit cards or ATM.
Medicare
No referrals are required. Most of our non-cosmetic services are covered. Payment is not required at the time of service since we accept assignment from Medicare. After Medicare pays their portion, we will bill your supplemental insurance for the remaining balance.
Collections
Returned (bounced) checks will result in a $35 additional collection fee which is due and payable immediately. Balances over 60 days will be charged a 2% per month interest charge. If financial problems affect timely payment of your account, please contact our office manager Mimi Watkins promptly for discussion about the management of your outstanding account. We accept cash, personal checks and MasterCard or Visa credit cards. We do not process debit cards or ATM.
Questions
If there are any questions about the above policies or any uncertainty regarding other aspects of our financial policy, please do not hesitate to ask us. We are here to help you as much as possible. Any feedback from you in person or in written form about the type of experience that you have with us is certainly appreciated as we constantly try to improve the quality of the overall experience for our patients.
