Insurance and Fees

Insurance Questions

We often get questions related to insurance because we are different from the standard medical office.  To help you in your decisions and to obtain the maximum reimbursement possible we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions below

Click on the link or scroll down for the answer.

Frequently Asked Insurance Questions:

  1. Does Family to Family take insurance?
  2. How do I seek reimbursement from my insurance company?
  3. How much will I be reimbursed?
  4. Do you take Medicare?
  5. What if I have Medicare and a secondary commercial insurance – can I submit receipts to my secondary insurance company?
  6. Do you take Medicaid?
  7. Are there any insurance companies that reimburse at a higher rate for your services?
  8. Can I bill my labs through insurance?
  9. Do you take CareCredit?
  10. Do you accept Health Savings Accounts?
  11. How much do you charge for your services?

 

1.  Does Family to Family take insurance?

The doctors at Family to Family are committed to providing comprehensive Functional Medicine and  Integrative and holistic medical care for our patients.  In order to do that effectively we have chosen to remain out-of-network providers for insurance. This means we do not contract with insurance companies, and thus, we cannot bill insurance directly.  You, however, can submit our receipt to your insurance and see if they will reimburse you or if your payment can be applied to your deductible.

In the insurance model of care, a 15 minute visit pays more than a thirty minute visit and an hour visit is often not possible.  Thus, doctors  don’t have time to listen to patients and have a huge incentive to fit more patients into a day.  No wonder people feel rushed and not thoroughly cared for. We believe you and your doctor choose how much time you need, rather than your insurance company.

We don’t do that.   That’s not our model of care.  If we were to contract with insurance companies, we would not be able to offer the type of care that so many need and are not receiving.

Instead, we take time to listen deeply so we can understand every patient as a human being and address the root cause  with a comprehensive plan tailored to your needs.  If this is what you are looking for then we may be a good fit.


2. How do I seek reimbursement from my insurance company?

Once payment is made an insurance ready receipt will be in your patient portal.  This receipt will have the appropriate billing and diagnosis codes that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement directly from them.  The amount you will receive depends upon your out-of-network benefits and your deductible. Please check your policy or with your company to better understand your plan.  You can also use your HSA to pay for services.

There may be an additional form for out-of-network filing you will need to obtain from your insurance company that you will submit with our insurance-ready receipt.  The form for BCBS is here.

We encourage you to be proactive with your insurance company so you receive the reimbursement due to you according to your plan.

 

3. How much will I be reimbursed?

That is between you and your insurance company.

The rate of reimbursement will depend on your particular plan, the deductible, and the level of co-insurance or secondary insurance for out-of-network providers. We encourage you to call your insurance company for more information.

Every insurance policy is different and is individualized for you.  We do not have access to this information nor can we give you any information about your policy and what it will pay.

It is important for you to ask your insurance company for information about out-of-network benefits for your individual policy and how to file for them.

Many of our patients have received 50-80% reimbursement.  We’ve also heard from patients that health share accounts may reimburse you up to 100% of your visit fee.


4.  Do you take Medicare?

No.  We have opted out of Medicare and you may not submit receipts for reimbursement.

That being said, many people with Medicare work with an in-network provider for their primary needs and  see our physicians for functional integrative medicine and consultations periodically.  They choose to pay out of pocket  because they desire the high quality of care they receive from us.  This is a decision you must make for yourself. If you have Medicare and you choose to use our services, you will be expected to pay in full at the time of the appointment which is our standard policy.

Labs however can be billed to Medicare – although some may not be covered.  Please review Lab billing with our office staff at the time of service.

5.  What if I have Medicare and a secondary commercial insurance – can I submit receipts to my secondary?

Sorry, the answer is still no because of the opt – out rules established by Medicare.

If Medicare is your primary insurance and you have a secondary commercial insurance, then we are not able to give you a receipt to submit for reimbursement. This is because we are out opted out with Medicare.

6. Do you take Medicaid? 

Sorry but we no longer accept Medicaid. Labs, specialty testing, x-rays and referrals ordered by our physicians can still be billed to Medicaid. It will also be important to ensure that your Medicaid card is not assigned to us. Payment for consultations are due at the time of service.

7. Are there any insurance companies that reimburse at a higher rate for your services?

With the exception of health share accounts, we do not know of any insurance company that will reimburse at a higher rate for out-of-network benefits.  Your rate depends on your individual plan which has been tailored to you.   We encourage you to shop around for the policy that best fits your needs.


8.  Can I bill my labs through insurance?

All conventional labs can be billed directly to your insurance through Labcorp by giving the lab your insurance card.   If your insurance does not cover labs, your deductible is too high or you do not have insurance, we can offer you a special discounted rate.  Please inquire about this with our front office. You will  pay Family to Family directly at the time the labs are ordered and then take your requisition to the lab.   These rates are up to 200% less than what you would pay out of pocket to the labs.

Specialty lab testing such as heavy metals, nutritional evaluation, stool analysis, food sensitivities are typically ordered through  Genova and Precision Analytics for hormone testing.  Pricing on these labs depends on your insurance.  Please see the links to the labs or inquire about this with our front office.

9. Do you participate in Health Share accounts like Liberty?

We are not participating providers with  Liberty but you can submit your insurance ready receipt to health share accounts. Our patients have experienced excellent reimbursement directly from their Health Share Community.

10. Do you accept Health Savings Accounts?

Yes, you can pay for services using your health savings account.

11.  How much do you charge for your services?

Please contact our office by email or phone for our current fees and to  better understand our unique services and cost of care.

We bill based upon time with our physicians.  New visits are 2 hours. Follow-up visits are 30 – 60 minutes. This includes the opportunity for  phone and video consultations directly with our doctors provided you have established with us for an initial visit face to face. Please contact our office to inquire about our fees.

A non-refundable $150 deposit is required to hold your intake appointment in our physician’s schedules and is applied to the cost of your initial visit. Payment is accepted by check, cash or credit card.