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Financial Responsibilities/Insurance Issues As with any primary care physician or specialist, consultation fees are due at the time of the visit. The consultations should provide you with a great deal of information about your particular concerns even if surgery is not recommended. The patient must realize that even though a surgeon may recommend against their request for surgery, to arrive at this conclusion requires years of study and training and strong ethics. If surgery is recommended, a second consultation is usually necessary to assure proper communication and provide further assessment of the patient's concerns and desires. This assures a stronger doctor-patient rapport prior to the procedure itself. The fee for a second consultation is typically one-half that of the initial consultation. Fees for all cosmetic surgery are payable fourteen days in advance of the procedure. This policy assures us that the patient is not undergoing surgery which he or she cannot afford. Several payment options are available and may be discussed at the consultation. Once you have scheduled surgery, we ask that you make every effort to avoid canceling or rescheduling. This allows the best patient care to be delivered. If reconstructive surgery is performed to restore form or function, as well as to improve appearance, insurance may defray some or all of the cost. We routinely assist you in filing your claim, and provide copies of necessary documentation at your insurance company's request. It is important to note that the insurance company is responsible to you, not to the doctor's office. Patients, in turn, are responsible for any charges incurred. It is not possible, ethical or legal to fill out insurance forms so that it appears the work was done for non-cosmetic purposes if, in fact, it was. Insurance payments are frequently based upon average fees charged under average circumstances. If your case proves more or less complex, the fee charged will vary accordingly. Because of the ever-changing medical insurance climate, the patient must find out from his or her insurance company if their policy requires a second opinion, precertification for the procedure and/or an overnight hospital stay. One must remember that all expenses-including separate fees for operating room, anesthesia, preoperative laboratory tests, and prescriptions-are the responsibility of the patient. Finally, the patient is the only party who can work out situations with his or her insurance company. You will be expected to pay the portion of the total bill that the insurance company does not pay. Cosmetic Fee Plan is a flexible
monthly payment option offered through AmeriFee.
Click Here for More Information ** Based on a loan with an 8.9% APR for 60 months. Terms of the loan may vary based on the treatment fee and credit information. All figures are estimates. |
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