At South River Pediatrics, we take the health and wellness of your child very seriously. We want to ensure that our policies are communicated clearly to all of our patients and their families. Our office policy provides details about our appointment scheduling, and our financial policy outlines our payment and insurance procedures. Our vaccine policy outlines our commitment to your child's health and safety. If you have any questions or concerns about our policies, contact us at (410) 956-6303.
OFFICE POLICY
Welcome to South River Pediatrics. Thank you for choosing us as your health care provider for your child/children. Nothing is a precious as the health of our children and we are committed to providing your child/children with the highest quality of care.
As we begin our relationship with you, we feel that it is important that you have a clear understanding of our general office and financial policies.
We have 7 providers and 2 locations with convenient office hours to serve you. Please take this opportunity to review our office policies and procedures.
Appointments
Provider schedules fill up quickly. We encourage our patients to schedule Well Child Visits, Adolescent, Sports Physicals, and ADD/ADHD Consult (including medication follow-up) appointments up to 3 months in advance.
For regular routine care we encourage you to schedule your appointment with your child's Primary Care Provider. However, should you choose to see any available provider please inform our front office staff. You will then be given the opportunity to choose from the Provider's available appointments. Please be aware that our Providers rotate their schedules at each of our offices.
Same Day Sick appointments are available by appointment. If the provider of your choice is not available, we will make every effort to schedule you with another provider.
We know that your time is valuable, and we will make every effort to ensure that we see your child as scheduled with minimal wait time. Therefore, we ask that you are prepared for each visit. To ensure your child is seen as scheduled:
-
Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your appointment to complete necessary paperwork.
-
Please bring your insurance card and a valid photo ID to every appointment.
-
You will be asked to confirm your demographic information and insurance at each appointment.
-
Please be prepared to pay your copay at the time of your visit.
Late Arrivals/Cancellations & No Shows
We have set "Appointment Times" for our patients and do our best to see our patients on time. Please understand that unforeseen circumstances may require some patients a little extra time with the provider. If this occurs, we will do everything in our control to get your child in to see the provider in a timely manner. To prevent the providers from falling extremely behind during the day, we ask that you arrive for your appointment at least 15 minutes before you are seen to complete the necessary paperwork.
-
Late arrivals increase the wait time for other patients. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for a routine Well Visit, you may be asked to reschedule your appointment. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for a Sick appointment, we will see you, but you will be offered the next available appointment so that patients who arrived on time will be seen as scheduled.
-
Cancellations- Appointments require a 24-hour notice to cancel the appointment without a cancelation fee. Appointments that are not canceled within 24-hour of the appointment will be charged a $40 fee.
-
No Show - A "No Show" appointment is an occurrence where the patient does not show for an appointment and does not cancel the appointment in advance according to our cancelation policy. If you do not show for your appointment and you do not cancel the appointment in advance, we will record in your medical record "No Show" and you will be charged a "No Show" fee of $40.00.
Please be advised that failing to keep scheduled appointments can result in dismissal from the practice.
Prescriptions/Forms
Prescriptions - South River Pediatrics processes prescription refills Monday through Friday. Refill request are not completed on the weekends. For your convenience, many prescription medications can be sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice. Please allow up to 48 hours to process all prescription refills. If your child is on a medication that is refilled monthly, please plan accordingly when requesting refills. Please be advised, that some prescription medications require pre-authorization from your insurance company and may take longer to fill request. We will not mail prescriptions. Controlled medications cannot be called into a pharmacy. When picking up prescriptions in the office, please be prepared to show a valid photo ID.
When requesting refills for your child's ADD/ADHD medication, please make sure your child has had a routine follow-up within the last 3 months of your request. If your child has not been seen for a follow-up, we will not refill the prescription until the patient has been seen in the office.
Forms - We will be happy to complete School, Day Care, Camp, and Sports Physical forms for you. Forms submitted for completion will require a $12.00 processing fee per form; due at the time forms are submitted. Please allow 5 business days for completion. We do not mail forms; however, you may provide a self-addressed stamp envelope for mailing or we can upload the form to your patient portal for your convenience. Forms that require STAT processing will require an additional fee.
Forms that are dropped off in the office (not during a well visit) will require a $12.00 processing fee per form. Payment is due at the time forms are dropped off. Please allow 5 business days for completion. At your request, we may mail forms back to you when provided a stamp.
Forms that are not completed and signed will not be processed and will result in a delay in completing your form(s) in a timely manner.
Referrals
If you need a referral for a follow up visit for a condition your child has been seen for, you must first schedule the appointment with the specialist before requesting a referral. When contacting our office for a referral please follow the prompts on our referral line and leave all pertinent information. You must provide all information requested at the time of your request otherwise this will cause a delay in processing your referral. Our office requires 5 business days to process a referral. When your referral has been completed, you will be contacted by our office. We will not back date any referrals.
If you are requesting a referral for a medical condition that we have not seen your child for, you will need to be seen in our office before we can issue a referral to a specialist.
Medical Records
All medical records are the property of South River Pediatrics. A signed Medical Records Release Form must be completed before records can be processed and released.
We are permitted by Maryland law to charge administrative and copying fees for the process of medical records; per patient/per chart. Please call the office for current fees as the cost fluctuates per Maryland State Law. Fees must be paid before release of medical records. We will not fax medical records unless we are faxing records to another provider office. Please allow 4 weeks to process medical records request. For additional information, you may call our office at 410-956-6302.
Divorce, Separation, & Custody Agreements
South River Pediatrics believes that such matters should not enter into a child's medical treatment.
"Joint Custody" means that each parent has equal access to the child's medical records. Unless we have a court order that states the contrary, our office is legally obligated to disclose medical information to both parents/legal guardians.
Please be advised of our office policy concerning this sensitive matter:
We will NOT prevent either parent from reviewing their child's chart, obtaining their child's test results, or from scheduling an appointment to be seen.
We will NOT call the other parent for consent prior to treatment.
We will NOT fax any health information to either parent.
We will discuss with the attending parent information pertinent to the child's history and/or present exam. It is the responsibility of the parents to communicate with each other about the patient's care, office dates/visits and any other pertinent information relevant to the care of the child.
If there is a dispute between the parents regarding custody and a custody agreement has been reached, we will need to obtain a copy of the agreement for the child/children's file. The individual who is requesting the medical treatment is responsible for the payment of the medical bills. We will collect co-pays and deductibles from the attending parent or legal guardian. It is our policy that co-pays and account balances are due at the time of service from the parent, guardian, or caretaker who brings the child in for the appointment. The parent or legal guardian who COMPLETES and SIGNS our Financial Policy Form will be considered the GUARANTOR REGARDLESS OF INSURANCE COVERAGE.
If at any time legal matters become too intrusive for our staff, we reserve the right to dismiss the patient from our office.
If you have additional questions about our practice, please feel free to contact our office at 410-956-6302.
Thank you for choosing South River Pediatrics.
Azam Baig, MD, FAAP
FINACIAL POLICY
South River Pediatrics is committed to providing you with the highest quality care in a cost effective manner. Therefore, we believe that it is essential to our patients and their parents that we outline our financial aspects of your visit with our practice. We have developed these policies based on industry standards and through careful consideration. These policies are presented in order for you to understand how we interact with you, your insurance company, and some of the constraints we must follow due to contractual and/or legal requirements. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your bill please call our Billing Department at 410-956-2856.
Insurance
We are contracted with most insurances companies and will bill your insurance company for services provided. Please check with our staff to confirm our participation with your insurance plan. Please bring your insurance card with you to each and every office visit. Our receptionist will ask to see your insurance card every time you check in for a visit. If your child is accompanied to their appointment by someone other than the parent, please arrange for the insurance card to be presented as well. The most recent insurance card must be presented at each visit to verify the information on file is correct.
Co-Payments, Co-insurance, Deductibles
A co-payment is a set dollar amount that you owe at the time of each visit. Per our contract with your insurance company, co-pays must be collected at the time of service. If you are unable to pay your co-payment at the time of service, we will charge an additional $10.00 to cover our cost of billing you for the co-pay.
A co-insurance is an amount required by some insurance carriers that is above the deductible and co-pay amounts. This amount is determined by your insurance plan and will be determined after our office has submitted a claim on your behalf for payment.
A deductible is a set amount that is owed before the insurance begins paying towards the patient's services. We will bill you for any co-insurance or deductible amounts as identified by your insurance company.
Any balance that you may have incurred from prior dates of service is expected to be paid within 20 days of the billing date and you may be asked to pay your balance at the time of your next visit.
Newborn Enrollment
It is extremely important that you notify your insurance company immediately following the birth of your child to initiate the process of enrollment. Most insurance companies allow 30 days from the date of your childs birth to send in the necessary paperwork for enrollment. If our office is unable to verify insurance coverage with your insurance company, claims filed on your behalf may be denied and you may be financially responsible. Once you have obtained the new insurance information from the insurance company, please notify our Billing Department at 410-956-2856 so that we may retroactively submit your claims for processing.
Uninsured Patients
If a patient has no insurance, insurance that we are not contracted with, or has experienced a lapse in coverage at the time of service, we are still committed to his or her care and well-being. Our practice offers a discount to self pay patients on a sliding fee schedule. This is a discount on what we normally charge for an office visit. To benefit from the discount, payment must be paid in full at the time of service. If there is a lapse in coverage or we are not a participating provider, we are happy to provide you with a detailed billing summary for submission to your insurance company.
Before and After Hours Care
In accordance with national billing guidelines, there is an additional charge for appointments provided outside of our regular business hours. Before and After Hour services that are provided by your provider consist of but not limited to Saturdays, Federal Holidays when our offices are open, and Evening hours from 5:00pm-6:00pm. This charge will be billed to your insurance company, however; not all insurance companies cover this fee. In the event that your insurance company does not cover this charge, it will become your responsibility to cover this portion of your bill. We recommend that you contact your insurance company prior to the visit to see if this is a covered service.
Account Balances/Payment Plans
Our Billing Department will be happy to assist you with any previous balances owed to our practice. We can offer a payment plan if you are unable to pay your balance in full. To initiate a payment plan with our office, a minimum payment of $50.00 or 20% of the outstanding balance (which-ever is greater) is required and a monthly payment must be paid on the remaining balance. If you do not meet your financial agreement, and you refuse to pay your balance, we reserve the right to dismiss the patient from the practice and your account will be forwarded to an outside collection agency.
Collections
We understand that at times there are extenuating circumstances that may limit your ability to pay off any outstanding balance. Patients who have not established a payment plan with our Billing Department will be referred to an outside collection agency for balances that are over 60 days past due. These accounts will be subject to a collection fee of 33% which will be added to the total balance due. In the event your account is referred to an outside collection agency, you are subject to be discharged from the practice.
Methods of Payment
For your convenience, you can make payments on line at www.southriverpediatrics.com or you may call our Billing Department at 410-956-2856, Monday through Friday from 8am-4pm and someone will be available to assist you with your payment. We accept Cash, Personal Checks, Money Order, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. There is a $35 fee for all returned checks. In the event of two returned checks, we will only accept Cash or Credit Card as a form of payment.
Vaccine Policy
As of August 1, 2018, South River Pediatrics will no longer be accepting new patients that do not follow the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Vaccination Schedule (www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules), as well as recommendations set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). We strongly believe in the effectiveness and the safety of this vaccine schedule and we have attached our “South River Pediatrics Vaccine Policy” for your reference. As stated in the policy, we would be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have regarding vaccines. If you decide not to follow this schedule or refuse vaccines, we ask that you find another practice that shares your views.
For those current patients of South River Pediatrics that are unvaccinated or behind on vaccines, we are requiring that these families catch up on the required vaccines over the next 2 years. If you decide not to obtain vaccines, we again ask that you find another practice that shares your views.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to discuss these with your provider.
We thank you for your cooperation and consideration in the matter.
South River Pediatrics Vaccine Policy
The providers at South River Pediatrics have carefully reviewed our approach to vaccinations within our practice. The following statements conclude our views:
-
We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.
-
We firmly believe in the safety of all vaccines.
-
We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
-
We firmly believe, based on all available scientific literature, evidence and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely due to the fact the vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we have parents who have become complacent about vaccinating. As a result of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or chickenpox, or known of a family member or friend whose child died as a result of these diseases. Unfortunately, the healthcare providers within our practice have witnessed children suffer and/or die from these vaccine preventable illnesses.
Vaccinations are a crucial part in preventing disease among the general population. Vaccines not only benefit those who receive them, but also the vulnerable population who may not be eligible for vaccination due to age or other medical contraindications. While you may decide to assume risk that you or your child might contract a vaccine-preventable illness, we cannot assume risk for our patients.
We are making you aware of these facts not to scare or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize the choice to vaccinate may be an emotional one for some parents. We will do everything we can to help you better understand that vaccinating according to the recommended schedule is the right thing to do. Should you have doubts please discuss these with your provider during your visit. Please be advised that delaying or “breaking up” vaccines to give one or two at a time goes against the expert recommendations and the medical advice of our providers, and can put your child at risk for serious illness and/or death.
It is our expectation that all of our patients be up-to-date with the infant/toddler vaccinations by two years of age. We also expect that all of our patients should have their recommended childhood vaccinations by six years of age. Finally, all adolescent and young adult vaccinations should be administered in accordance with the current CDC and AAP schedule recommendations.
If despite all of our efforts you decide to decline or refuse vaccines, we ask that you find another practice who shares the same views.
As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults. Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with any of us.
Sincerely,
Providers of South River Pediatrics