Strathmoor Pediatrics

Office Policy

 

Our goal is to provide and maintain a good physician-patient relationship. Letting you know in advance of our office policy allows for a good flow of communication and enables us to achieve our goal. Please read each section carefully and initial. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask a member of our staff.

 

Appointments

 

1. We value the time we have set aside to see and treat your child. We do not double book appointments. If you are not able to keep an appointment, we would appreciate 24-hour notice. There is a charge of $20 for missed appointments.
2. If you are late for your appointment (>15 minutes), we will do our best to accommodate you.However, on certain days it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment.
3. We strive to minimize any wait time; however, emergencies do occur and will take priority over a scheduled visit. We appreciate your understanding.
4. Before making an annual physical appointment, check with your insurance company as to whether the visit will be covered as a healthy (well-child) visit.
5. Multiple missed appointments may result in dismissal from the practice.
6. Physicals, well-child checks, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder check, and the like, may rescheduled if there are outstanding balances or if a co-payment is not paid at the time of service.
7. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please let us know.

 

Initial: __________

 

Insurance Plans (Please understand)

 

1. It is your responsibility to keep us updated with your correct insurance information. If the insurance company you designate is incorrect, you will be responsible for payment of the visit and to submit the charges to the correct plan for reimbursement.
2. For patients with Passport, Coventry Care, Well Care, and Humana Medicaid, the card is required at the time of services. Patients are responsible for payment of services if no card is received.
3. If we are your primary care physician, make sure our name or phone number appears on your card. If your insurance company has not yet been informed that we are your primary care physician, you may be financially responsible for your current visit.
4. It is your responsibility to understand your benefit plan with regard to, for instance, covered services and participating laboratories. For example
   1. Not all plans cover annual healthy (well) physicals, sports physicals, or hearing and vision screenings. If these are not covered, you will be responsible for payment.
   2. For children younger than 2 years, there is a limit as to the number of allowable well visits per year. If the number of visits is exceeded, your insurance company will not pay; you will be responsible for payment.
5. It is your responsibility to know if a written referral or authorization is required to see specialists, whether pre-authorization is required prior to a procedure, and what services are covered.

 

Initial: __________

 

Referrals

 

1. Advance notice is needed for all non-emergent referrals, typically 3 to 5 business days. You may need to re-schedule your appointment if we are not given enough notice.
2. It is your responsibility to know if a selected specialist participates in your plan.
3. Remember, we must approve referrals before they are issued.
4. Generally, we will not agree to a referral for a problem, unless we have been consulted first.

 

Initial: ___________

 

 

 

(over)

Financial Responsibility

 

1. According to your insurance plan, you are responsible for any and all co-payments, deductibles, and coinsurances. We may send claims to the insurance company as a courtesy to you, however, you are ultimately responsible for any charges.
2. Co-payments are due at the time of service. A $10 service fee will be charged in addition to your co-payment if the co-payment is not paid by the end of that business day.
3. Self-pay patients are expected to pay for services in FULL at the time of the visit.
4. If we do not participate in your insurance plan, payment in full is expected from you at the time of your visit. We will supply you with an invoice that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
5. Patient balances are billed immediately on receipt of your insurance plan’s explanation of benefits. Your remittance is due within 10 business days of your receipt of your bill.
6. If previous arrangements have not been made with our finance office, any account balance outstanding longer than 28 days will be charged a $20 re-bill fee for each 28-day cycle. Any balance outstanding longer than 90 days will be forwarded to a collection agency.
7. For scheduled appointments, prior balances must be paid prior to the visit.
8. If you participate with a high-deductible health plan, we require a copy of the health savings account debit or credit card, or a copy of a personal credit card to remain on file.
9. We accept cash, checks, Visa, and Master Card credit and debit.
10. A $35 fee will be charged for any checks returned for insufficient funds and your account may be placed on a “cash-only” basis. We will accept payments only by cash or credit card until the balance is cleared.
11. The accompanying parent or adult is responsible for the full payment at the time of the service. We refuse to be placed in the middle of marital/custodial disputes.

 

Initial: ___________

 

Forms

 

1. There is no charge for a Kentucky Immunization Certificate given at the time of your child’s visit. This is considered part of the visit. However, should you lose your forms, there will be a $5 charge to replace them.
2. Any additional school, camp, or sports forms are subject to a $5-per-form fee. There is an additional cost of expediting the forms – $10 for 24 hours and $15 for immediately.
3. Family and Medical Leave Act forms are $15. Payment is due when the forms are dropped off. We require a 3-day turnaround time.

 

Initial: _____________

 

Transfer of Records

 

1. If you transfer to another physician, we will provide a copy of your immunization record, growth chart, and your last visit to your physician, free of charge, as a courtesy to you. We require a 2-day turnaround time.
2. A copy of your complete record is available for a $1-per-page fee if printed out. There is a $5 charge for a compact disk copy of your records and records are free if faxed. (subject to 25 page limit).
3. We provide records of your child for visits (including consultations from specialists) rendered here at Strathmoor Pediatrics only. For any previous records, you must request them directly from your previous doctor(s).

 

Initial: _____________

 

Prescription Refills

 

1. For routine monthly medication refills, we require 48 hours’ notice, during regular business hours. Please plan accordingly.

 

Initial: _____________

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have read and understand this office policy and agree to comply and accept the responsibility for any payment that becomes due as outlined previously. I, further agree that should it become necessary to forward my account to a collection agency, I will also be responsible for the fee charged by the agency for the costs of collection in addition to the original amount due. I understand and agree that the terms of this office policy may be amended by the practice at any time without prior notification to the guarantor.

 

 

Patient Name(s) ____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Responsible Party Member’s Name __________________________________ Relationship_____________

 

 

Responsible Party Member’s Signature ___________________________________ Date _______________

 

 

On completion, we will provide you with a copy for your records.

SP – 01/2013