10/23: NEW RSV BEYFORTUS IMMUNIZATION: The FDA/CDC has approved a new immunization for babies younger than 8 months who are in their first RSV season and some older infants with specific underlying health issues. Parents consenting to this shot, must check with their commercial insurance company prior to the scheduled appointment to make sure Beyfortus (procedure code 90380) is covered because it is very expensive. Parents should fully document this conversation with insurance in order to have recourse in the event that insurance does not pay. In compliance with the No Surprises Act, parents will be required to sign an agreement when this shot is administered at PPA accepting financial responsibility and agreeing to pay $500 for Beyfortus if insurance does not pay within 60 days of the date of service. It will be the sole responsibility of the parent to dispute any non-payment issues with their insurance company for personal reimbursement after the parent pays PPA for this immunization.
POSTED 3/23: PPA CURRENT Mask Policy
Our masking policy now requires only those patients, parents, siblings, or anyone else accompanying a patient who has respiratory illness or has had recent covid exposure to wear masks. Other sick patients, parents, and anyone who is not sick with a respiratory virus and who has not had recent Covid exposure, seen on either the well or sick side, do not have to mask. PPA reserves the right to change or modify this policy according to the community spread of Covid 19 or as recommended by the CDC or the PA Department of Health. We appreciate your respectful cooperation with our Mask Policy.
2/1/23: New $25 No Show Fee
Please be advised that due to the high demand for appointments in our office and an increasing trend of no shows, we will be adding a $25 NO SHOW FEE for all NO SHOWS effective 2/1/23. We appreciate the courtesy of 24 hours advance notice to cancel your appointment so that we can use the canceled slot for another patient. We will honor some same-day cancellations as we understand that emergencies arise that would require canceling your appointment. Please call the office in which your appointment is scheduled to cancel and we would be happy to reschedule for you at the same time. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
1/1/22: NO SURPRISES ACT/GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE POLICY
In accordance with new Federal Law, PPA will provide a "Good Faith Estimate" of anticipated charges to patients who are not enrolled in a group health plan, insurance from the federal exchange or a group Medicare or Medical Assistance program. This basically includes our patients who may be uninsured or have the financial status of "Private Pay". This Good Faith Estimate will be provided to all patients who fall in these categories when the parent schedules the appointment or within 3 days of request by any parent. In compliance with the newly enacted law, this policy is designed to protect patients from any surprised, unexpected bills for services at our offices. Note: Patients who are enrolled in group health plans or Medicare/Medical Assistance, should already be informed of any out-of-pocket responsibilities in the form of co-pays, co-insurances and deductibles as it is the insurance company's responsibility to inform its members of these costs.
3/15/21: 21ST CENTURY CURES ACT
As approved by our Board of Directors on 3/15/21, PPA has an Information Sharing Policy which ensures that patients are able to receive their health information in a safe, secure, and HIPAA-compliant manner in compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act. The goal of our practice is to make every effort to share information with patients and authorized representatives in order to empower them to be active participants in their care. Sharing of information will be accomplished through both active (upon request) and passive (information that is made available upon demand through our patient portal) methods. This full policy is available upon request by any patient to our Office Manager.
1/1/2021: CARES Act
The CARES act requires that providers post their cash price for COVID-19 testing. PPA'S cash price for rapid COVID-19 testing is $60 which must be paid at the time of service. Please note, that this is only for the COVID-19 rapid test. Other tests and screenings may be ordered and provided at the same time of service, which will affect the total bill for this service and may require payment of other out-of-pocket costs (for example, office visit copays). PCR Covid-19 testing, when determined as required by the clinician, will be sent out to commercial labs and billed to insurance.
9/1/20: Patient Portal
9/1/20: PPA is pleased to announce the launching of our new Greenway Patient Portal. Please note that credentials for our old portal version will no longer be active. Contact our office for instructions on how to sign up for the new version of our Patient Portal.
4/16/20: Telemedicine
PPA is very excited to announce that we will now be scheduling “Telemedicine” visits through doxy.me. This virtual visit will include audio and video capability for issues that are deemed as non-emergent by our nurses and clinicians. If you are interested in a virtual visit for your child, please call 215-257-2727 for Sellersville and 215-256-1999 for Harleysville to be connected to our triage nurse. Our nurse will determine whether or not your child’s ailment can be scheduled as a virtual “telemedicine” visit or if your child requires a face-to-face visit in our offices. Thank you and we hope that all of you are continuing to stay safe and well!
'DEDUCTIBLE' and 'PRIVATE PAY' Balances
Due to the high cost of sending out billing statements, 'DEDUCTIBLE' and 'PRIVATE PAY' balances will only receive one statement advising parents of the balance due. If the balance is not paid in full or payment arrangements made within 30 days of the first statement, the account will be forwarded to a collection agency. Parents should contact their insurance companies to determine if their office visits with PPA are subject to a deductible.
PPA POLICY REGARDING TREATING ALL CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY
For various reasons, PPA requests that all children in the family be registered with our office. We will not see individual children in the family when others have a different PCP under the age of 18
HIPAA Privacy Notice
Please see the attached link for the new HIPAA regulations
HIPAA Privacy Notice
. Please be advised that to comply with HIPAA, a Photo ID is required for a parent/guardian/patient picking up any paperwork at our offices. Written authorization must be given by the parent/guardian/patient if another individual is designated to pick up paperwork; and in turn, that designated individual must then provide a Photo ID at the time of pick up. No exceptions will be made to this policy. Please note that the following paragraph has been added to the Acknowledgement of HIPAA Privacy Notices that must be signed yearly by a parent/guardian/patient:
Note this change 1/21/22: If the person who presents with the patient for care, has legal authority to consent to care, our office will provide that care as deemed medically appropriate by the provider and/or members of our staff. Regardless of whether parents reside in the same or different households, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian who presented with the patient for care, to communicate information to any additional guardians. Only in cases where there is legal documentation in the medical record stating that there must be informed consent from both parties, will reasonable attempts be made to obtain the consent of the other parent; however, it is still the primary responsibility of the person presenting the child for care to communicate all medical information to the other parent. As of the date of signing this document, it is the signer's responsibility to make PPA aware of any effective court orders in place and we must have copies of these documents for our files.
Nondiscrimination and Accessibility Requirements, ACA
PENNRIDGE PEDIATRIC ASSOC., INC. complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Pennridge Pediatrics does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Please see the entire disclosure required by law in
15 different languages
.
