FINANCIAL AND BILLING POLICIES
TWIN CITIES DERMATOLOGY CENTER FINANCIAL POLICIES SUMMARY
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT AND AS AGREED TO ON OUR CARE AND FINANCIAL AGREEMENT CONSENT FORMS:
A Charge Card on File is required for all patients to settle balances not paid within 14 days of invoicing you and for late cancel/no show fees if applicable. You may elect to not place a charge card on file by paying your balance in full for your services at the time of your visit and by placing a $75 no show deposit on file for any potential no show fees. Unpaid balances are transferred to collections.
Any charges made to your charge card on file will be reported to you via an emailed receipt. Please ensure that your email address is up to date.
We invoice patients electronically through text message after receiving a response from your insurance company. Please ensure that your phone number is up to date to receive text notification about your invoice for your balance due upon receipt and that your email is verified to access the Sadio Patient Portal.
Your insurance company sends YOU and US an explanation of payment that details what you owe for our services. It is your responsibility to pay what you owe upon receipt for your completed office visit or it will be charged to your card on file if not paid within 14 days of our electronic invoice. Any amount paid by you over what insurance allows will be refunded to you within 14 days.
Co-payments are due at the time of service. Missed copays at check-in will be charged immediately to your card on file upon discovery or report from insurance.
To avoid a late cancellation or no show fee of $75, please contact us at least 24 hours before your appointment time to cancel or reschedule your appointment. We do not charge patients for unexpected illness, life-threatening emergencies, or unsafe weather conditions. However, a history of no shows and/or continued broken appointments will result in discharge from our center or declined appointment requests.
Self payments for services not billed to insurance or for non-billable cosmetic or aesthetic services are due at the time of service. Insurance cannot be billed at a later date for self pay services rendered after paid for per the signed care agreement.
Adults are patients 18 years of age or older without a declared legal guardian and regardless of insurance subscriber. Please ensure the phone number and email address on file are up to date for invoicing and receipts.
We use a third-party laboratory called Quest Diagnostics to process blood draws completed in our clinic. Dermpath Diagnostics may process your pathology specimens. You may receive an invoice from these vendors and should contact them directly regarding insurance billing and payment.
WHAT TO BRING TO YOUR APPOINTMENT: To your visit, please bring a government-issued ID (to identify you as the patient and insurance beneficiary) and medical insurance ID card (to confirm your benefits and financial obligations). There is complimentary parking and easy access to the Center.
MEDICAL INSURANCE COPAYS (CO-PAYMENTS): Payment of insurance copays is required and due at the time of service for every office visit unless the visit is a post-operative follow-up or a specified nurse-only visit approved by the doctor. Please bring a form of payment to fulfill this benefits obligation on the day of your visit. Missed copays at the time of service will be charged to your card on file upon discovery or notice from the insurance company and collected immediately to settle your claims.
SELF-PAY PATIENT PAYMENTS: Self-pay medical and cosmetic service payments are due at the time of service and cannot be invoiced or deferred. All medically non-covered charges for services are due at the time of service unless there are approved exceptions or credits on file. You will be charged a $25 service fee for any returned checks.
CHARGE CARD ON FILE POLICY: For all patients, a charge card is required for past due balances not paid by insurance after you are invoiced and in the event that there is a no show or late cancellation and a $75 charge will be applied to the patient account and charged to the card at the time of the no show. In addition to the no show/late cancel policy, all patients require a debit, credit, or HSA card on file for any balances not paid by your insurance carrier and not paid by you within 14 days of the first invoice. The patient or his/her parent/guardian who signed the consent form for care and financial agreement is responsible for adhering to these policies.
LATE CANCELLATION AND NO SHOW POLICY: You have requested dermatology services from us and our doctor and staff prepare for your appointment in anticipation of your visit. In the event that you cannot attend your appointment, please call, text, or email us at least 24 hours before your appointment time to avoid a late cancellation or no show fee of $75. Presentation 15 minutes late for an appointment may result in appointment cancellation and charge of a no show fee. Please contact us as soon as you are aware of a scheduling conflict so that we may better serve you and reschedule your appointment. We may be unable to honor your reschedule request. The no show fee will be collected at the time of the missed appointment and must be paid before rescheduling future appointments or receiving future services. Repeated broken appointments may result in discharge from the Center.
PAYMENT SECURITY: Your charge card payment information is stored in an encrypted and HIPAA-compliant billing system, the EZ DERM electronic health record, with all mandated security measures taken. The card will be charged for balances within 14 days of patient invoicing and you notified via email with a transaction receipt.
HOW TO AVOID ANY CHARGES TO THE CARD ON FILE: If you cannot attend your appointment, please call, text, or email us at least 24 hours before your appointment time to avoid a late cancellation or no show fee of $75. There are no charges made to any charge card kept on file if patient balances are paid in full upon receipt of patient invoicing.
PATIENT INVOICES: For insured patients with balances due after insurance submission and remittance, invoices will be sent to you electronically via TEXT and are available on the Sadio patient portal. Balances are due upon receipt with a 14-day grace period. Payments can be made at twincitiesderm.com online, via mailed check or credit card payment, via phone, via text through Sadio, and in-person. Balances 30 days past due are subject to collections transfer and must be paid to receive continued services. Payment plans for accounts in good standing are available and can be arranged by contacting our billing department at (612) 268-5005 or billing@tcdermmn.com. Patients with past due balances or delinquent accounts are discharged from the Center.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: In the event of unsafe weather conditions, your safety and the safety of our staff take priority. Please contact us regarding cancellations as soon as possible and we will reschedule your appointment to another time that is best for you. We will try our best to announce Center closures or delays as soon as they are known. Virtual Visits for those with E-Visit eligibility may be available during inclement weather. No show fees are not charged for natural events that are out of your control.
MEDICAL INSURANCE FOR PAYMENT FOR SERVICES:
Medical services are billable to select insurance plans approved or contracted by the provider and are subject to scheduling approval and eligibility verification before appointments made.
Insurance eligibility verification is required prior to medical billing to insurance payors for medical services and also prior to appointments. If insurance cannot be verified before services rendered, the patient is responsible for payment at the time service as self-payment or the appointment may need to be rescheduled to provide time for verification or to obtain potential referrals. Claims not paid within 45 days of date of service by your insurance company will become your responsibility and the amounts charged to your charge card on file. You will receive an electronic statement for these services and you will need to contact your insurance company for reimbursement if applicable.
We will file your insurance claim to the insurance company that you provide. If your insurance coverage changes to a plan that we do not participate in, you will be responsible for all charges that have been billed to insurance for services rendered. Any charges that are not paid by your insurance company are your responsibility and the charge card on file will be charged immediately upon confirmation. Your insurance policy is a contract between YOU and your insurance company and we are owed payment for services rendered to you if your insurance company does not pay for those services. Any pre-certifications of procedures or testing are your responsibility and we try our best to support you with this to ensure we will receive payment for our services. WE and YOU both receive a remittance from your insurance company called an explanation of payment (EOP) regarding the processing of your visit claim and final payment decisions, reflecting what you owe for our services. If information is missing from you regarding your visit, your insurance company may require you to contact them to perform coordination of benefits (COB) before they will process or pay your claim. If COB requests are not completed within one week, we will charge your card on file the full amount for your services rendered to resolve your owed balance.