PAYMENT
Sorry - no personal checks will be accepted at the office as a form of payment.
Copays will be collected at time of service - we do not bill out for your copay. Please contact your insurnace provider to know your copay that will be assessed. Dr. Russell is considered a SPECIALIST as she is a board certified OB/GYN and the SPECIALIST copay is assessed. Also, most insurance plans DO NOT assess a copay for your annual "well woman" visit. Please contact your provider to confirm this fact.
An administrative fee of $20.00 will be assessed for any copays which are not collected at the time of service.
CONCERNING OBSTETRIC VISITS:
If your insurance plan requires of you a co-pay, a visit co-pay is assessed before your first visit as well as an additional sono co-pay for the initial ultrasound performed. Once it is determined the patient is pregnant, the course of up to 13 visits is known as the "OB Global Package" as the visits are bundled together and the co-pay for each visit is waived. However, if the doctor performes an ultrasound during any visit within the Global Package, a sono co-pay is assessed for the ultrasound performed. Your office visits are covered in this Global Package and are paid out to the doctor after the child is delivered, bundled into the delivery fee assessed. Believe it or not, a doctor is REQUIRED BY LAW to collect insurance co-payments before each visit - co-pays cannot be waived due to law requirements. The office assesses a $25.00 SONO FEE for ultrasound services performed. This is an out-of-pocket fee to pay for the rental, electric, and maintenance of the sonograph machine. Your copay (if your insurance requires you to pay one for sono visits) will satisy this out-of-pocket fee. For 1199, Empire, and Oxford subscribers - you will be required to pay the $25.00 out-of-pocket service fee.
CONCERNING CIRCUMCISIONS:
The circumcision procedure is a seperate billing and is not included in the Global Package.
CONCERNING BABY AND YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE:
Be sure, once your child has been delivered, to have someone add your child to your insurance coverage when baby is home form the hospital. The newborn will be given their own ID number and it ensures that the newborn is definately covered. If anything, call your insurance provider and obtain your newborn's insurance ID number.
CONCERNING CORD BLOOD COLLECTION (CBC):
CBC is a seperate billing that is not covered by many insurance providers. It is an "out-of-pocket" expense which is paid directly to the doctor. This office bills out CBC with the delivery of your child in order to track insurance providers recognizing this as a coverable procedure. The CBC fee is $300.00 and will be billed to you once the delivery has been paid out by your insurance provider.
CONCERNING POST-PARTUM VISITS:
Included within the OB Global Package are two post-partum visits. Many patients elect not to see the doctor after delivery. In essence, these are two "free visits" (GHI is the exception - they do charge their $15.00 copay for each post-partum visit) where you get the opportunity to discuss your body as it reverts back to its pre-pregnant state. Please take advantage of these visits.
CONCERING CO-INSURANCE/DEDUCTABLE FEES:
If your insurance does not require you to pay a co-pay before each visit, you may incur a co-insurance charge or a deductable charge after each visit. These charges are to be remitted to the doctor in a timely manner during your Global Package of visits as REQUIRED BY LAW. These fees will be billed out to you during the course of your obstetric care and can be paid before your next visit at the office via VISA/MC. Once again, co-pays, co-insurance, and deductables are contractual obligations of the doctor by the affiliated insurance providers to be collected from each patient in a timely manner and cannot be waived. CO-PAYS MUST BE COLLECTED AT THE TIME OF SERVICE.