We know how many things can delay you to get to the office on time. Please try to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your appointment to accommodate for this. If you are going to be late, please call to let us know so we can plan accordingly. If you arrive very late for your appointment, we will try our best to still see your child, however in some circumstances you may need to see another available provider. We respect that your time is valuable and we will do our best to accommodate and not reschedule the visit.

We also make every effort to stay on schedule. We ask for your understanding and patience if we are running behind, as we will always give each patient the time and attention they deserve. We will do our best to keep you informed while you are waiting, and offer you the chance to reschedule your appointment or see another available provider if you prefer.

We understand that unexpected reasons occur for missed appointments and we do not charge a fee for this, but if this occurs repeatedly, we will discuss how we can assist you to prevent this from happening.

It is your responsibility to keep us updated with your correct insurance information. If the insurance company you designate is incorrect, you will be responsible for payment of the visit and to submit the charges to the correct plan for reimbursement.

If we are your primary care physician, make sure our name or phone number appears on your card. If your insurance company has not yet been informed that we are your primary care physician, you may be financially responsible for your current visit.

It is your responsibility to understand your benefit plan with regard to, for instance, covered services and participating laboratories. For example

Not all plans cover hearing and vision screenings. If these are not covered, you will be responsible for payment.

For children younger than 2 years, there is a limit as to the number of allowable well visits per year. If the number of visits is exceeded, your insurance company will not pay; you will be responsible for payment.

It is your responsibility to know if a written referral or authorization is required to see specialists, whether preauthorization is required prior to a procedure, and what services are covered.

Advance notice is needed for all non-emergent referrals, typically 3 to 5 business days.

It is your responsibility to know if a selected specialist participates in your plan.

According to your insurance plan, you are responsible for any and all co-payments, deductibles, and coinsurances.

Co-payments are due at the time of service.

Self-pay patients are expected to pay for services in full at the time of the visit.

If we do not participate in your insurance plan, payment in full is expected from you at the time of your visit. We will supply you with an invoice that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

Patient balances are billed immediately on receipt of your insurance plan’s explanation of benefits. Your remittance is due within 30 business days of your receipt of your bill.

If previous arrangements have not been made with our finance office, any balance outstanding longer than 90 days will be forwarded to a collection agency.

For scheduled appointments, prior balances must be paid prior to the visit.

If you participate with a high-deductible health plan, we require a copy of the health savings account debit or credit card, or a copy of a personal credit card to remain on file.

We accept cash, checks, Visa, and MasterCard credit and debit.

A $25 fee will be charged for any checks returned for insufficient funds.

For most insurances, there are no co-pays for routine pediatric check-ups, although some insurances may still require them. If your insurance plan requires you to pay a co-insurance or deductible, you may be billed for this balance. However, co-payments and deductibles are still required for other services. If your provider addresses a specific health issue beyond the routine check-up exam, there may be an additional charge added to the check-up visit charge for the treatment of the illness, and you will be responsible for the co-pay portion of that visit. For payment, Bedford Pediatrics accepts cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard. If your insurance company fails to make payment then the balance for medical services may be your responsibility. Please notify us immediately if you receive a bill that appears to be inaccurate so we can help to correct this, if necessary.

You may call our office for prescriptions refills and submit request using the MyChart patient portal. Refills are usually completed the same day if not within 24 hours.

Bedford Pediatrics firmly believes in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.

We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines and that all children and young adults should receive all the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

We will do everything we can to convince you that vaccinating according to the schedule is the right thing to do. However, should you have doubts, please discuss these with us. In some cases, we may alter the schedule to accommodate parental concerns or reservations. Please be advised, however, that delaying or “breaking up the vaccines” to give one or two at a time over two or more visits goes against expert recommendations, and can put your child at risk for serious illness (or even death).

Because we are committed to protecting the health of your children through vaccination, we require all our patients to be vaccinated. Infants should start receiving all age-appropriate recommended vaccines by three months of age, and complete those vaccination series by two years of age. Older children should receive their booster immunizations before 6 years of age. We will strongly recommend that your child receives an annual influenza vaccination.

Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child despite all our efforts, we may ask you to find another healthcare provider who shares your views. We do not keep a list of such providers, nor would we recommend any such physician. Please recognize that by not vaccinating, you are putting your child at unnecessary risk for life-threatening illness and disability, and even death. As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating your child on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do to protect all children and young adults. Thank you for taking the time to read this policy. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with us.

If you transfer to another physician, a copy of your complete record is available for a $10 fee. This information will be stored on a password protected flash drive and delivered to you.