Policies

CPAM Office & Financial Policy

We appreciate your confidence in choosing the Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (CPAM) for your child’s healthcare needs. The following is provided to avoid any misunderstanding and provide you with an outline of our expectations.

All Payment is Expected at the Time of Service

All co-pays, coinsurance and/or deductibles are due at the time of service unless other arrangements have been made in advance. These fees are a contract between you and your insurance company and cannot be waived. If you do not have insurance, are unable to provide proof of insurance coverage, or are on a plan that we do not participate in, full payment is required at the time of your visit. Please also be aware that some services provided may be non-covered services and may not be reimbursable by your insurance. You are personally responsible for these services.

Please also be aware that for other services provided or that may arise during a well check (such as an ADHD med check or diagnosis and treatment of acute symptoms), a copay may be required. The copay cannot be waived.

The party who brings the child to the office is responsible for the visit’s copay, coinsurance and/or deductible. We will not be involved in parental court cases.

Insurance and Billing

Please note that there are hundreds of insurance plans, and it is YOUR responsibility to become familiar with your plans. If you do not understand your specific plan coverage, please call your insurance plan or your HR department at work. The number for your plan is listed on your insurance card.

You are expected to know if vaccines, well check, behavioral, labs or other procedures are covered or might fall into the deductible. It is your responsibility to know if your well check is made within the timeframe allowed by your insurance company. Medical care not covered by your plan is due in full at the time of the visit.

As a courtesy to our patients, CPAM will bill your insurance company. Please remember that your insurance is a contract between you and the insurance company, not the provider. You will need to bring your insurance card each time you visit the office. You are responsible for balances after insurance has been paid and payment in full is due with the receipt of the statement. We participate in most plans, but if we do not accept your insurance, you will be responsible for the day’s charges at the end of the visit. Balances are required to be paid in full or financial arrangements will have to be made before any future appointments can be scheduled.

You must report ALL insurance coverage correctly. Failure to do so is considered insurance fraud. This will also result in full patient responsibility for your bill. Unless other arrangements are made with our financial department, we may refer unpaid bills to the collection company after 60 days. Unpaid balances that are transferred to the collection company may result in family dismissal from the practice.

Returned Checks

We charge a $30 check fee for any check returned by your bank.

Payment Plans

If you are having difficulty paying your balance in full, please call our financial department for arrangements. We must have a signed payment plan and you must be paying regularly to protect your account from further action. We can keep your credit card on file securely for monthly automatic payments.

Failure to resolve any past due accounts, including returned checks, may result in referral to a collection agency. You may be responsible for any fees associated with the costs of collections in addition to the amount owed on the account. Any family whose account is forwarded to a collection agency may be discharged from our practice.

Walk-In Appointments

Please do not bring your sick child to the office without an appointment. We have same day sick appointments available.

After Hours Call

Our physicians are available on call 24 hours/day, 365 days/year for calls of a truly urgent nature.

Cancellations and Missed Appointments

At CPAM we try very hard to schedule your child’s appointment at a time that is best for you. We appreciate your promptness and understanding in arriving at your scheduled time. If you are over 15 minutes late for your child’s appointment, we will make every attempt to work you in, but it may be significantly later or with a different provider. A dedicated amount of time is reserved for each visit, and large blocks of time are saved for complex issues or annual check-ups (often as much as 30 minutes). We try very hard to see your child in a prompt fashion but complications with earlier patients can occur and you may have to wait, and for that we apologize. We will make every effort to give you the same compassion and competent care.

If for any reason you need to change a previously scheduled appointment, please let us know as soon as possible. We prefer being notified at least the day before, but we MUST be notified prior to the scheduled appointment. This allows us to provide the appointment slot to another child sooner.

A missed appointment is defined as not showing up for an appointment and not notifying the office prior to the scheduled appointment. Three missed appointments in a 12-month period result in specific consequences including an eventual dismissal from the practice. After the first missed appointment, a letter will be sent to remind the parent or guardian of the missed appointment and the need to cancel ahead of time. After the second missed appointment, a letter of explanation for the missed appointment will be requested from the parent or guardian. After the third missed appointment, unless extenuating circumstances are shown, the process of dismissal from the practice will begin. We pray this will not be necessary as we cherish compassionately caring for young hearts and minds.

Immunization Policy

At the Center for Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine (CPAM), we are dedicated to provide the best possible care for our patients. This desire extends to protecting children and their families in the office (especially babies under six months) and in the community against vaccine preventable diseases. We believe strongly in the efficacy of vaccines, from personal experience and well trusted, verifiable research, we know:

• Childhood immunizations prevent illness and save lives.
• Childhood immunizations are much safer than the disease itself.
• Immunizations are the single most important preventive healthcare measure available to children in the United States.
• The concept “Herd Immunity” protects vulnerable children that cannot receive vaccines due to their fragile bodies, protecting patient populations for whom immunizations are medically contraindicated. We believe there is a moral and ethical obligation for the rest of us to do what we can to minimize the likelihood of infection transmission to these fragile persons.
• Immunizations are the biggest medical success story of the 20th century. As a result of immunizations, American children have over a 90 % or greater decreased chance from suffering from:
• Polio
• Smallpox
• Measles 
• Rubella (birth defects)
• Whooping cough
• Meningitis
• Ear infections
• Epiglottis
• Vomiting/Diarrhea

Also there have been significant decreases in the incidence of head, neck, cervical cancers and liver cancers due to vaccinations.

Recently there is a new vaccine that can decrease/precent Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in infants, decreasing symptoms and hospitalizations.

Therefore, we require all our patients and our staff to be up-to-date on all required vaccines. New patients will have a 2-month grace period before vaccines need to be started.

We understand that the decision to immunize can be difficult for parents. Should you have reservations about immunization, please discuss these with your provider. We will do everything we can to show you that vaccinating completely and on time is the best thing to do.

VACCINE INFORMATION

One of the best internet sites for vaccine information can be found at WWW.VACCINE.CHOP.EDU which is hosted by one of the finest children’s hospitals in the country, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Another is from the American Academy of Pediatrics and is called HealthyKids.org that gives well supported information about vaccines. Especially interesting is a section called “Conversations about Vaccines”.

Further Vaccine Resources: 

HealthyKids.org that gives well supported information about vaccines. Especially interesting is a section called “Conversations about Vaccines.”

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center

CDC's New Vaccine Safety Website - This site includes new and updated content and resources.

CDC and AAP - Recommended Routine Vaccine Schedules "Easy-to-read Version" - Ages 0-6, Ages 7-18

CDC - Immunizations Website – Information for Healthcare Professionals and Patients- 

CDC - For Parents- Vaccines for Your Children –  American Academy of Pediatrics - Immunization Information for Families-

Vaccinate Your Baby - A campaign launched by “Every Child by Two”, an organization devoted to raising awareness of the critical need for timely immunizations.

Vaccine Safety: The Facts A brief fact sheet on vaccines from the AAP. For detailed informational sheets published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) please visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis.

Confronting Misinformation:

Too Many Too Soon: The Anti-Vaccine Fallacy- Academic Earth. 2013

An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All

What's the Real Story on the Vaccine Debate?

The Problem With Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine Schedule

Cashing in On Fear: The Danger of Dr. Sears

Mercury, Thimerosal and Vaccines - CDCs statement and info page, explaining the safety of vaccines 

Here Be Dragons: An Introduction to Critical Thinking

Too Many Vaccines? What You Should Know

Vaccines and Autism

DECISION NOT TO VACCINATE:



If you, the parent believe it is best for your child not to receive immunizations, we will respect your decision, but unfortunately, we will need to end our doctor-patient relationship. If your child requires medical care within the following 30 days, we will provide that care while you find new care for your child. When you have chosen another pediatrician, please complete and return by mail, fax or in person the attached “Authorization to Transfer Medical Records” form. We will then forward your medical records to this new provider. If you decide to stay with us, please schedule a visit within the next two months to begin the vaccination series.