Financial Policy

We are happy to bill insurance for you.  It is your responsibility to provide accurate information about all insurance policies you have for your child, at each visit.  The insurance industry has strict and sometimes complex regulations around medical billing.  Any rejected claims related to failure to provide us accurate insurance information will become your responsibility.    

Payment is due upon receipt of a statement.  Any accounts that are more than 90 days past due will result in a hold on the account, which will prevent further appointment scheduling until the account is settled.  Any accounts that are 6 months past due will result in dismissal from the practice.  I do not charge late fees or interest, nor do I refer accounts to collections.  However, if my practice is to be sustainable in this current medical climate which favors institutional care by large systems, it is essential that I be paid for the care I provide.

If you are facing financial hardship, please contact me so that we can make a reasonable payment plan.

Missed appointments without cancelation are a financial strain on a small practice such as mine.  They also interfere with my ability to provide the best care possible for your child, and affect my ability to provide timely care to other patients who could have used that missed time slot to receive necessary healthcare.  I request at least 24 hours notice to cancel an appointment.  However, I do understand that unforeseen situations arise which may not permit this.  In these situations, I kindly request at least 2 hours notice to cancel an appointment.  Cancellations with less than 2 hours notice (excluding emergencies) will be treated as a No Show.  My office policy is that 3 No Shows may result in dismissal from the practice, though I try to avoid this measure as much as possible.  I may ask to speak about barriers that exist which interfere with your ability to keep appointments, in the hopes that we can find some solutions.

I plan my schedule so that I can spend time with my patients, to best understand their needs, and provide the highest quality care possible.  Because it is my desire to respect the time of my families, I strive to be on schedule as much as possible, understanding that occasionally there is an emergency which requires more of my time.  My ability to be on time is a partnership.  I rely on my patients arriving on time for their appointments.  Because my assistant needs to gather information necessary for the visit (growth measurements, vital signs, other pre-visit procedures as necessary), the expected arrival time is 15 minutes before the appointment time.  Arriving more than 10 minutes late may require rescheduling the appointment, in the interest of both providing complete, unrushed care for your child, and being on time for the next family.

I am available to provide medical advice via MyChart messaging, free of charge.  I do my best to respond as quickly as possible, though I may respond at a later time or date to non urgent questions.  I may determine that your questions/concerns are more involved than a simple MyChart interaction can safely and adequately address, in which case I will recommend scheduling an appointment to evaluate your concerns further.  This service assumes your child is up to date on recommended well child care.  If not, I may ask you to schedule an office visit to discuss your concerns.

Please also note that some of your questions may be easily answered by checking under the resources tab and selecting one of the Symptom Checker databases, which offer detailed information about various symptoms and illnesses, management recommendations, and advice on when to seek care.

I am available to consult about illnesses or other urgent concerns that arise outside of regular business hours, free of charge.  If you need the number to call, it is on the office voicemail.  You may either test or call me on this number.  If you text me, please make yourself available to respond in a timely way to any additional questions I have regarding your concerns.  Many questions can be answered by utilizing the Symptom Checker module under the Resources Tab.  Additionally, many insurance companies offer a free Nurse Consult Line.  Please note that my after hours number should not be used as a convenience-- I request that a good faith attempt is made to reach out to me during office hours, whenever possible.  If you have a non urgent question after hours, which can safely wait for a response once I am back in the office, please use MyChart.