Office Policies

Appointment Policies/Fees for Services (Updated 9/10/24)

Scheduled Appointments

• Well-child visits, follow-up appointments and consultations should be scheduled prior to the appointment date.
• Same-day sick appointments are available daily. They will be scheduled after you speak with our receptionists or nursing staff.
• Late arrivals will be seen as time permits, but in some circumstances, it may be necessary to reschedule the appointment.

Telehealth Visits

Telehealth visits work best for medical problems that do not require a physical exam. Examples include the following:

• Some Rashes
• Mild upper respiratory infections
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Mild allergy symptoms
• Constipation
• Management of long-term medications, e.g., those used to treat ADHD, seasonal allergy and oral contraceptives

Telehealth encounters are billed the same way as in-person visits. As such, co-pays, deductibles and other charges apply the same way they do with in-person visits. Coverage varies between insurance companies, so it is important that you stay informed regarding the services and limitations of your insurance plan.

Cancelled Appointments

• We require a 24-hour notice for canceling any appointment.
• There is a $50 charge for missed appointments. This includes not showing up for the visit or late cancellations.
• If your child gets sick Sunday for a Monday appointment, the fee will be waived as long as you call the office early Monday morning

Walk-In Appointments

As a matter of policy, we discourage walk-in visits. If you show up without an appointment, your child will be seen as time permits, but there will be an additional $50 charge for the visit.

After Hours Medical Advice

• After-hours calls for urgent medical advice will be answered by the on-call doctor. A minimum $25 charge will be billed.
• After-hours calls may fall into the category of Telehealth visits and will be billed as such.

Email Medical Advice Provided by the Physician

There may be a fee If a physician provides medical advice via email. The amount of this charge will vary according to the amount of time the doctor spends responding to your questions.

Payments

Co-pays, deductibles and account balances are due at the time of the visit. We accept checks, MasterCard, VISA and American Express. If we don’t participate with your insurance plan or you don’t have health insurance, payment in full is expected at the time of service.

Forms

If your child needs school, camp or sports physical forms, let the receptionists or nursing staff know at the time of check-in. Expect a 3- to 5-day turnaround time. There is a $25 charge per form. You will be billed at the time of the visit, and the completed forms will be sent to you via email. If a form is needed sooner than 24 hours, there will be an additional rush-fee of $15.

Prescription Refills

If you call or email the office for a prescription refill, we may require that you schedule an in-person or telehealth visit. If we are able to refill the prescription without a visit, allow 48 to 72 hours for the prescription refill to be completed. There may be a $25 charge for this service.

Letters

Patients often request letters to get coverage for medical conditions/procedures, to receive accommodations for their child at school and other situations. The minimum charge for this service is $25.

Transferring Medical Records

There is a $25 charge per child to copy or transfer medical records. These charges must be paid in full before the medical record will be copied and available for transfer or pick up.

Health Insurance

Medical insurance is a contract between you and your insurance company. Therefore, it is your responsibility to know the limits and benefits of your policy. Please check with your insurance plan before scheduling an annual well-child exam. Each plan varies with respect to the allowable interval between well visits, so you need to know your plan benefits. If the visit is not covered, you will be responsible for payment.

When arriving at the office, we will ask you to present your current insurance card. This verifies that you are an active member with the insurance company. If your contract with the company is invalid, you will be responsible for any charges incurred at that visit. Please notify us of any changes to your insurance coverage.

Due to differences in policies, it is your responsibility to check your insurance plan to be sure they consider us as participating providers. We accept with the following insurance carriers:

United Healthcare

• United Healthcare Choice
• United Healthcare Choice Plus
• United Healthcare Core Choice Plus
• United Healthcare Options PPO

Cigna

• Cigna PPO
• Cigna Open Access Plus

Denied Coverage for Services

If your insurance company denies payment for services rendered for any reason, we will bill you directly. Your insurance company may reimburse only part of your claim if:

• You have not met your deductible.
• Our fees are above their customary rate.
• Your policy does not cover the service rendered.
• Your child is not covered at the time of service.

Outstanding Balances

Patients with an outstanding balance of more than 60 (sixty) days must make payment arrangements prior to scheduling future appointments.

Returned Checks

A $25 charge, plus any bank fees incurred, will be charged for returned checks.

Billing Office

Contact the office at 202-363-6150 or email [email protected] with questions regarding billing. All fees are subject to change.