Thank you for choosing us as your primary care provider. We are committed to providing you with quality and affordable health care. Because some of our patients have had questions regarding patient and insurance responsibility for services rendered, we have been advised to develop this payment policy. Please read it, ask us any questions you may have, and sign in the space provided. A copy will be provided to you upon request.
1. Insurance. We participate in most insurance plans, including Medicare. If you are insured by a plan we are not contracted with, we will attempt to submit a claim on your behalf, but often times these claims will be paid at an ‘out of network’ rate. You may be billed for the remaining balance. Knowing your insurance benefits is your responsibility. Please contact your insurance company with any questions you may have regarding your coverage.
2. Co-payments and deductibles. All co-payments and deductibles must be paid at the time of service. This arrangement is part of your contract with your insurance company. Failure on our part to collect co-payments and deductibles from patients can be considered fraud. Please help us in upholding the law by paying your co-payment at each visit.
3. Non-covered services. Please be aware that some – and perhaps all – of the services you receive may be non-covered or not considered reasonable or necessary by Medicare or other insurers. You may be billed for these services or required to pay for these services in full at the time of visit.
4. Proof of insurance. All patients must complete our patient information form before seeing the doctor. We must obtain a copy of your driver’s license and current valid insurance to provide proof of insurance. If you fail to provide us with the correct insurance information in a timely manner, you may be responsible for the balance of a claim.
5. Claims submission. We will submit your claims and assist you in any way we reasonably can to help get your claims paid. Your insurance company may need you to supply certain information directly. It is your responsibility to comply with their request. Please be aware that the balance of your claim is your responsibility whether or not your insurance company pays your claim. Your insurance benefit is a contract between you and your insurance company; we are not party to that contract.
6. Coverage changes. If your insurance changes, please notify us at or before your next visit so we can make the appropriate changes to help you receive your maximum benefits.
7. Payment at Time of Visit. Our office offers a 20% discount to patients without insurance who pay for services received on the date of their visit. We are able to offer this discount because of the costs we save in billing you. If you have received a bill for these services, we will not be able to give you the discount.
8. Payment Plans. Our office is happy to work with our patients to arrange payment plans. We are willing to find a payment that works for your budget. We will not charge interest, we simply ask that a payment be made every month. In the event that you do not make a payment for 3 consecutive months, your account will be referred to our collection agency.
9. Nonpayment. Please be aware that if a balance remains unpaid, we may refer your account to a collection agency and you and your immediate family members may be discharged from this practice. We will consider seeing you as a patient once your entire balance has been paid to the collection agency.
10. Bankruptcy. In the event that you file bankruptcy, and our office must write off your balance, you and your immediate family members will be discharged from our practice. We will not be able to consider seeing you in the future.
11. Missed appointments. Our policy is to charge for missed appointments. These charges will be your responsibility and billed directly to you. Please help us to serve you better by keeping your regularly scheduled appointment. Our practice is committed to providing the best treatment to our patients. Our prices are representative of the usual and customary charges for our area. Thank you for understanding our payment policy. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. I have read and understand the payment policy and agree to abide by its guidelines: