Insurance and Financial Policies
Policies and Procedures for South Coast Dermatology in Weymouth, MA
Our policies and procedures are available for your convenience and to help keep the cost of your healthcare to a minimum.
Insurance
Please bring your insurance card with you each time you visit our office. You should familiarize yourself with your insurance coverage benefits. If we can be of service to you regarding our acceptance of your health plan, please call our billing office at 781-413-2525 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
South Coast Dermatology accepts most major insurances, however please feel free to call the office to inform you of whether or not we take your insurance or if there are special requirements with your insurance, such as referrals, in order to be prepared for your visit.
Referrals
It is your responsibility to be well informed in the health plan coverage you have selected, as it is impossible for South Coast Dermatology to be familiar with each plan. All HMO plans require a referral from your primary physician (PCP) in order for your health plan to pay for services rendered. It is your responsibility to contact your PCP for authorization and verify a referral is in place before you visit with our dermatologist, or you may be at risk to pay for services rendered if your insurance chooses to deny coverage for lack of a referral from your PCP. Not all services provided at South Coast Dermatology may be covered by your plan; it is your responsibility to understand what services are covered. You may be required to sign a referral waiver so that we may bill you directly if services are denied by your insurance.
Self-Pay Patients
Please arrive prepared to make payment at time of service.
Expected payments include:
- co-payments and deductibles from your health plan
- out-of-pocket non-covered services (you may be required to sign a non-covered waiver so that we may bill you directly)
- prior balances
For your convenience, we accept cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard
Billing Procedure/Policy
- Patient statements are sent out monthly. Information on payment plans is available upon request.
- You must, if no prior payment plan is agreed upon, pay all balances within 30 days of receiving a statement from South Coast Dermatology.
- If you have not paid your balance by 90 days after receiving the first statement, your account may be turned over for collection to an agency.
Missed Appointments
Due to the high demand for appointments, South Coast Dermatology has regretfully had to implement a "No-Show" fee for missed appointments. To avoid this fee, please call the office 24 hours prior to your appointment to cancel, thus allowing us time to give your appointment to another patient.
Minors
Any patient under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18, as services may not be permitted to a minor without proper authorization and necessary signature for treatment.
Prescriptions
Our Prescription Phone Line is 781.335.9700, option #4.
When requesting a new prescription, a refill, or answers to questions regarding prior authorizations, please allow 48 to 72 hours for processing.
Please leave the following information on our prescription voicemail line:
- Patient's name (please spell) and date of birth
- Name of prescribing physician
- Name of medication, including strength, directions, and quantity
- Name of pharmacy and phone number, or specify if you will be picking up the prescription from our office
If you have a mail-away pharmacy, any missing information will result in a delay of processing request.
Please note: If you have not been seen in our office within a year, your request for refills may be denied until you schedule a visit.
Prior Authorization for Prescriptions
If your prescription plan requires a prior authorization from your insurance company, please follow these steps, as we are unable to process it for you:
- Call your insurance company listed on your insurance card.
- Have them fax a prior authorization form to our office (781-335-9709) with your name, date of birth, and name of medication on the form.
- Please call your pharmacy after a few days to find out if your medication has been approved.
Please note: This is the only way our office processes prior authorization requests. Under no circumstances do we call insurance companies to obtain authorizations. This process may take up to five business days for approval, and any missed information will result in a delay of processing.
Send a message online or call 781.335.9700 for more information about South Coast Dermatology.