Financial Policy
PAYMENT AT TIME OF SERVICE:
Payment is due in full at the time of service unless you are covered by Medicare or an insurance company with which we participate. You will be charged a $25 service fee for any returned checks, no exceptions.
INSURANCE:
Patients will be asked to present their insurance card to the receptionist for copying upon check-in at the office each time they are seen for medical services. A single insurance carrier may have many different plan types and the card is required to ensure we are a participating provider. Claims not paid within 45 days by your insurance company will become your responsibility. You will receive a statement for these services and you will need to contact your insurance company for reimbursement.
Your insurance policy is a contract between YOU and your insurance company. Any pre-certifications of procedures or testing are your responsibility. Please let us know in advance if your insurance company requires this. For those patients covered by insurance plans with which we ARE participating providers, all co-payments, deductibles and non-covered services are due at time of service. We will estimate these costs to the best of our ability based on the information provided by your insurance company and any differences will be billed or refunded to you. We will file the insurance claim to the insurance company. In the event that your insurance coverage changes to a plan with which we ARE NOT participating providers, we will require payment in full at the time of service and we will file your claim to the insurance company as a courtesy. Any charges that are not paid by your insurance company are your responsibility.
All procedures including minor procedures (wart treatment, injections, cryotherapy...etc) are considered surgical procedures by insurance companies and may be subject to a separate surgical deductible or co-payment depending on your policy.
COLLECTIONS:
Live Oak Dermatology has a credit card on file policy for all new patients.
Please note, if payment is not received from either you or your insurance company within 60 days from the date of service(s), your account will be considered delinquent and subject to referral to an outside collection agency.
NO SHOWS:
We charge for no-show visits that are not cancelled within 24 hours.
MEDICAL OFFICE VISITS:
It is our obligation to charge for medical office visits. See the following examples:
-If your visit is for a suture removal from a recent procedure and you wish to discuss unrelated medical problems, then you will be charged a regular office visit.
-If you are here for a cosmetic visit such as Botox/filler, and you wish to discuss an unrelated medical problem, you will be charged for a regular office visit.
-If you are here for a procedure, such as a surgery, and you wish to discuss an unrelated medical problem, you will be charged for a regular office visit.
-If you have a medical question during your visit about a family member who is also a patient, then it is our responsibility to open a chart and address the concerns as an official office visit for which that patient will be charged (if time permits).
-We are unable to answer medical questions about non-patients for medicolegal reasons. If you have a medical question during your visit about a non-patient, we will have to request that the patient establish a relationship with the office and schedule an appointment through the usual channels.
PATHOLOGY AND LABORATORY FEES:
Pathology and laboratory fees are separate and are billed by the lab who performs the service. If your insurance company requires a specific lab for specimens or blood work please notify us in advance. Billing questions regarding blood work or pathology should be directed to the performing laboratory.