Financial Policy
Thank you for choosing Z-Dermatology & Skin Wellness Center. The following outlines our financial policy. If you have any questions, please ask a member of our staff before your appointment.
Payment at the time of service
Payment is required for all services at the time they are rendered unless you have an insurance plan with which we participate.
Payment is required at time of service for all cosmetic procedures.
Insurance
Your copay is collected at the time of your visit. We then bill your insurance. Once your plan has processed the claim and told us what it will cover, any remaining balance is billed to you.
Because of that sequence, the bill that arrives after a visit is normal — it is not a second charge for the same care. Please take a little time before your appointment to understand your own plan: what your copay is, what your deductible is, and how much of it you have already met. Your insurance is a contract between you and your insurance company, and it is the plan, not our office, that decides what is covered.
When your plan applies part of a visit toward your deductible, we are required to bill you for that amount. Deductibles are set by your plan, not by our office, and we cannot waive them for anyone.
Regardless of insurance coverage, verification of benefits, or contracts with insurance, the patient is ultimately responsible for paying for the services rendered. Claims that are denied for lack of authorization, coverage or eligibility, or lack of medical necessity as determined by your insurance or out-of-network benefits, will be the responsibility of the patient.
Pathology fees
When tissue is removed from the skin — a biopsy, or an excision — it is sent to a laboratory to be examined under a microscope by a dermatopathologist. That examination is what produces the diagnosis.
The laboratory is a separate company from our office, and it bills separately. You may therefore receive a bill from the laboratory in addition to anything you receive from us, and it will be processed under your own insurance plan. We do not set that fee.
If you have a question about a pathology bill, the laboratory that issued it is the right place to call — their contact information will be on the statement.
Credit card on file
We ask every patient to keep a valid credit card on file, and signing your new-patient paperwork is what authorizes us to use it for unpaid balances. The card is held securely in a payment gateway that meets Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards.
Nothing is ever charged without warning. If a balance is left outstanding, we email you a single invoice first, showing what the balance is for and giving you the option to pay online. You then have four weeks to pay, or to ask us anything about it, before the card on file is used.
You can change or update the card at any time — just let us know.
We understand a card on file is not the right fit for everyone. We ask for it because it keeps billing straightforward and predictable, which is what lets a small practice spend its time on patient care rather than on chasing balances. We are grateful for your understanding, and look forward to caring for you.
Cancellations and missed appointments
When you book with us, that time is reserved especially for you. If an appointment is missed, or cancelled too late for us to fill it, the slot goes unused — and another patient who needed it waits longer. So we ask, respectfully, that you let us know as early as you can if you are not able to make it, and we will happily find you another time.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, we need to know at least one (1) full business day before your regular appointment, or two (2) full business days before your surgical or cosmetic appointment.
A $50 charge will be assessed for no-shows or cancellations with less than 1 full business day notice for regular clinic appointments, and $100 charge for any surgical or cosmetic appointments with less than 2 full business days notice. Appointments cancelled at the last minute through Zocdoc or any other online scheduler are recorded and will incur this $50 charge.
Returned checks
The charge for a returned check is $25.
Questions
If you have a question about a bill, your insurance coverage, or this policy, please call our office at (714) 951-9119 and we will be glad to help.