In an effort to make sure things run smoothly and your child receives the awesome care they deserve, we have a few office policies in place.
Appointment Times
Your appointment is time that we set aside just for your child. We’ll remind you with a confirmation call. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please give us 48 hours’ notice. When the office is closed, our answering service is always available to take your message.
Sometimes it’s necessary to book longer appointments and use a few extra staff members when a patient has certain medical, emotional or behavioral issues. We’re always more than happy to accommodate you and your child if this is the case. However, we do charge an additional behavior management fee to cover the cost of committing the time and staff necessary to achieve the ideal outcome for more sensitive patients.
Broken Appointments
We consider an appointment to be “broken” when a patient doesn’t show up, is more than 15 minutes late or calls less than 48 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule. We know things come up and life happens, which is why there’s no charge the first time. If you’re running late or can’t give us 48 hours’ notice, call us as soon as you can to let us know. After the first instance, there is a $75 fee for broken appointments and repeated occurrences could result in a loss of appointment privileges.
Payment
Parents or guardians are responsible for payment of all services rendered on behalf of their dependents. Payment is due at the time of service unless other arrangements have been made, regardless of insurance. If we don’t receive your payment by the agreed upon date, a 1.5% late charge (18% APR) and any expenses related to collections may be added to your account. If separated or divorced, the parent who brings the child to the appointment is responsible for deductibles and copays incurred on the date of service. While all of that sounds ominous, we’ll go over the cost of your child’s dental care upfront so there are no surprises and we’ll work hard to find a solution that suits your budget prior to starting treatment.
Returned Checks
All checks returned to us by your bank for insufficient funds will result in a charge of $25, which is due immediately, along with the amount of your check. After the first returned check, payments will need to be made with cash, money order or certified check.
Insurance
Your insurance is a contract between you or your employer and the insurance company, so you’re the account guarantor. This means you’re ultimately financially responsible for all services provided, including those not covered by your policy. As a courtesy, we’ll file your insurance and verify your insurance eligibility. However, this does not guarantee payment of your benefit and only tells us that you’re eligible today. If anything changes in the future, your benefits may be reduced or denied. Should this happen or if the company fails to pay its portion, you’ll be responsible for the entire fee. Please let us know right away of any changes to your insurance.
If you have both a primary and a secondary insurance, we’ll submit all of the necessary paperwork to the secondary insurance following payment from the primary. Unfortunately, there’s typically an extended processing time (sometimes up to three months) and stricter limitation guidelines, such as non-duplication clauses. Therefore, we’ll ask you to pay the balance after primary payment. Any and all services provided are based on your primary insurance payment only.
