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Financial Policy

Allergy and Asthma Center of Austin has a responsibility to provide quality healthcare
services to patients. In the interest of maintaining a good doctor-patient
relationship and continuing the delivery of quality healthcare, it is our hope that
you will take responsibility for your financial obligation to our practice.

We encourage you to discuss any questions you may have with our office personnel.
Discussion of these issues early on in your treatment process will prevent most concerns or misunderstandings.

Your Insurance

As a courtesy to you, we will contact your insurance company and obtain a general estimate of your insurance coverage and benefits.  We will provide you with a copy of the general estimate of benefits at your first appointment. This estimate will be the basis for the patient portion due at the time of service.  Your insurance company WILL NOT guarantee any quote of benefits or coverage and all claims are subject to policy limitations and guidelines in force when the claim is processed.

We have made prior arrangements with many insurers and health plans to accept an assignment of benefits. This means that we will bill those plans for which we have an agreement and will only require you to pay the authorized co-payment, deductibles and/or co-insurance at the time of service.

If you do not present your insurance card at the time of service, you will be required to sign a waiver of responsibility and payment in full will be expected at the time of service.

If it is discovered, after services are rendered that you did not present the current, correct insurance ID card at the time of service, you will be responsible for the charges if denied by your corrected insurance company as "past the filing deadline".

In the event that your health plan determines a service to be "not covered", you will be responsible for the complete charge. Payment is due upon receipt of a statement from our office. If you disagree with your insurance company's determination, you must contact your insurance company.

HMO's and some other insurances require an official referral/authorization number or form. If the patient presents without this authorization form, and we have not received it in our office, you will be required to sign a Waiver of Responsibility Form and payment at the time of service will be expected.

In the event of default on the patient balance owed, for any reason, the patient (or reponsible party) will be responsible for any and all collection agency fees, attorney fees, and court costs.

All co-payments, co-insurance and deductible amounts, are due at the time service.

We accept cash, checks, MasterCard, Visa and Discover Card. We will gladly submit fees for your covered medical services to your insurance company. However, we expect payment of all services within 60 days.

Minor Patients

For all services rendered to minor patients, the adult accompanying the minor is the responsible party on the child’s account.  All co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles are due at the time of service. If there is a remaining balance due on the account after the insurance payment is received, a statement will be sent to the responsible party.  We will not bill non-custodial parents, shared custodial parents or any other third parties.

Payment arrangements must be made in advance for unaccompanied minors.

 

We are Contracted with the Following Insurances:

• Aetna HMO/PPO/POS
• Benefit Planners PPO
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans (All plans both in and out of state, except Medicaid)
• Cigna HMO/PPO
• First Health PPO
• Great West PPO
• Humana HMO/PPO/EPO
• Principal PPO
• Private Health Care Systems PPO including Guardian PPO and Fortis/Assurant Health
• Seton Health Plan EPN and Expanded EPN 
• Texas True Choice PPO 
• United Healthcare (All plans)

We accept many other PPO plans as well. Our office encourages patients to be educated about and proactive in obtaining benefit information prior to treatment. You can always obtain allergy benefit information from your insurance company prior to treatment at our office.  

Many HMO plans require a referral to see a specialist. Consult your insurance plan or feel free to call our office with questions regarding participation.

Please Note:

MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES:

Although we are no longer contracted Medicare providers, we will be happy to enter into a private contract with you and provide medical care to you.  Our physicians have "opted out" of Medicare as permitted by the Balance Budget Act of 1997. This law allows physicians who have opted out of Medicare to enter into a private contract with Medicare beneficiaries and requires a private contract between the patient and the physician.  You will be charged our usual rates for medical care provided to you and full payment will be due at the time services are rendered.  Neither Medicare nor secondary insurance companies will reimburse you for our charges.  Please note that we can not submit any claims to Medicare or secondary insurance companies for our services.

MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES:

We are closed at this time to new Medicaid patients.