Patient Financial Policies 

Thank you for choosing the Integrated Skin Institute, as a healthcare provider. We are committed to your treatment being a successful experience. Please help us maintain accurate records by filling out forms legibly and inform us if any changes need to be updated on your account (for example: address, telephone number, medical insurance, etc).  

You may contact our  Billing Department at: 

(615) 314-1699, Monday – Friday from 8:00AM to 5:00PM.  

We accept all major credit cards, checks and cash. 

Insurance and Insurance Collection 

If you are unable to present an insurance card at the time of service, or if you are covered by an insurance company with which we are not contracted, we require that you pay for services at the time of service. If we are able to collect from your insurance company after you have fully paid your account, we will issue you a refund. We will gladly bill your insurance company, if contracted, as a courtesy. In the event that your insurance does not reimburse us within ninety (90) days, we will transfer this balance to you as your responsibility and send you a statement.

How Can I Learn What is Covered by Insurance?

The best way to verify what your insurance will cover is to call your insurance company directly and ask if we are in network. Keep in mind that each insurance plan is different. Coverage for specific procedures may vary by policy, state and insurance carrier. Our physicians and clinicians may not be in your network. 

You can also avoid any surprises by contacting your insurance company and confirming their scope of coverage, if we’re in-network, whether pre-authorization is needed, and what your out-of-pocket costs might be.

What May Not be Covered by Insurance?

Once you’ve determined what is covered, you may ask whether a co-pay, coinsurance, deductible, etc., will need to be satisfied at the time of service.

Out-of-Network Insurance 

We will submit all claims to your insurance company, but if we are not participating network providers or our physician or clinician is not within your network, you will be responsible for any amount of non-covered services, deductibles and other remaining balances your insurance company does not cover for your visit.

Copays and Deductibles

We do our best to inform you of your insurance benefits prior to your appointment. All co-payments and deductibles are due at time of service unless prior arrangements have been made. We accept cash, check, debit and credit cards (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) as well as Care Credit. After your insurance is filed and your insurance company makes the determination, you will be billed for the balance due. That includes co-insurance left over, deductibles, non-covered charges, and any remaining balance. Post-dated checks are not accepted at our clinics. If you are unable to make a payment, your appointment can be rescheduled for a later date.

Referrals and Prior-Authorizations

If your insurance company requires a referral and/or preauthorization, we are available to assist you. If you are unable to obtain the referral and/or preauthorization, you may be held responsible for the cost of your appointment and any procedures performed.

Know Your Plan Benefits! – Non Covered Services Are Your Responsibility 

Each and every insurance company, including Medicare, has different plans, each with different benefits. Because your health insurance is an arrangement between you and your insurer, you should understand what services are covered under your specific plan. Your insurer can assist you with any questions you have relative to your own benefits. All co-payments, co-insurance, and/or deductibles are your responsibility. Co-payments are due at the time of service. This is a requirement of your insurer. 

We may decline to see patients for non-emergent visits if co-payments are not made at the time of the visit. In addition, please be aware that your Integrated Skin Institute physician may provide services that may not be covered as a benefit of your specific insurance plan. Patients or Guarantors are financially responsible for any and all services provided that may not be covered by your insurance plan. It is your responsibility to know and understand your specific insurance plan and what benefits are provided. 

Some procedures you may undergo are best performed utilizing the equipment, safety, and comfort that can be obtained in an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) setting. Please be aware that these charges are separate and apart from those fees charged by the physicians of the Integrated Skin Institute. You should ask your insurer how your benefit plan would cover any outpatient facility/ASC charges. 

Pathology Services/Charges

Some procedures you may undergo will involve removing tissue. The charges for this process are known as Laboratory/Pathology charges and will appear on your bill if performed. The physician who looks at the slide and provides his/her opinion based on those slides is known as the Pathologist. There is a charge for that physician’s professional opinion, which is independent of the charge for preparing the actual slide. ISI reserves the right to send specimens to an outside facility for special staining purposes, pathologic interpretation, and/or to obtain a second opinion. ISI is not responsible for any outside facility charges that may be incurred. We have negotiated discounted fees for pathology with preferred labs. You may choose to pay our cash fee OR have pathology billed through your insurance. 

HMO Plans 

If your care and treatment at the Integrated Skin Institute is the result of a referral from your HMO plan and/or from your Medical Group or HMO Provider, you should have a written authorization/referral from them. It is your responsibility to verify that they properly authorize your care and treatment in advance. Any co-pay required will be your responsibility at the time of each visit. 

Secondary Insurance 

Having more than one insurance does NOT necessarily mean that your services are covered 100%. Depending on your plan’s benefits, the secondary insurers will pay as a function of what your primary insurer pays. We will bill your secondary insurer as a courtesy. You are responsible for any balances after your insurers have processed our claims. 

Medicare 

You are responsible for your annual deductible and 20% of the allowable fee for covered services. We will be happy to bill and secondary (or Tertiary) insurance you may have once we have been informed that you hvae such coverage in effect. If any balance remains after your claims have been processed, we will transfer responsibility of payment to you and send you a statement. 

Important reminder for Medicare enrollees: If you qualified for Medicare coverage and decided to enroll in a Medicare+Choice/Medicare Advantage plan (e.g. Secure Horizons, Blue Cross Senior Secure, SCAN) you may need to first get a referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) before your visit with us will be covered. Please call the number on your insurance card for information from that plan. 

Cosmetic Services

Cosmetic services are billed under a separate fee schedule. As always, payment is due at the time of service. However, some planned, larger procedures may be charged before services are rendered. A cosmetic consultation is required for all new cosmetic patients, or established cosmetic patients who wish to discuss new treatment plans.

Minor Patients 

The adult accompanying a minor and the minor’s parents or guardians are responsible for full payment for services rendered. If a minor is unaccompanied, consent for treatment and payment arrangements must be provided in advance of treatment. Payment may be by pre-authorized credit card, payment on account in advance, or check or credit card presented at the time of service. 

Divorce Decrees 

Integrated Skin Institute is NOT a party to any divorce decree. Adult patients are responsible for their bill at the time of service. Financial responsibility for a minor receiving medical services rests with the accompanying adult. 

Credit Card On File 

Effective July 1, 2024 we require patients to provide a credit card for payment of co-payments, co-insurance amounts, deductibles, and charges otherwise not covered by your insurance. The card will not be charged until the claim has been processed and we have received an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) detailing the amount of the charges that you are responsible for. You will receive the same EOB directly from the insurance company or Medicare. Once we have processed your credit card, you will receive a statement from us reflecting that payment. The credit card information will be held securely, and this process will be similar to cards on file during a car rental or hotel stay. Credit cards are scanned once to capture data that will be encrypted and stored by a PCI Federally insured and accredited merchant services company. If you prefer not to provide a credit card to be kept on file, you may pay for your services at the time of the visit. 

• Charges applied to your credit card will occur only after the insurance portion of the claim has been paid and posted to your ISI account.   

Return Check Fee 

There is a $25.00 banking fee for all returned checks. This sum is used to offset the fees incurred by Integrated Skin Institute by our bank. If your check is returned from the bank, we may NOT ACCEPT an additional check as payment on your account. Future payments must be made with cash, money order, or credit card. 

Collections 

Integrated Skin Institute will send you a statement after your insurers have been billed and your insurers have considered your charges. We will charge interest of 1.5% (18% annually) on all outstanding balances after 30 days. If no payment is received after 120 days, your account may be turned over to a collections agency. A $25.00 late payment/pre-collection fee will be added to your account to offset the administrative costs incurred when accounts are assigned for collection. 

Missed Appointments 

There is a $75.00 missed appointment fee if you cancel or reschedule an appointment with less than 24-hour advance notice, or if you fail to arrive for your appointment. Please do not rely on our automated appointment reminder service as your only reminder to keep your scheduled appointment, as we cannot guarantee this service, or that the phone number provided is accurate or functional for this purpose. For missed surgical or cosmetic visits, a $200 fee will be charged to my account which is not covered by my insurance plan.  

Promotional Coupons/Incentives 

Some manufacturers offer certain discounted products and/or services. Integrated Skin Institute may not honor or accept every coupon or manufacturer’s offer as the terms and performance of the issuer may change. You are responsible for any goods and/or services you receive. Please ask whether any coupons are still being honored before receiving services. Cosmetic procedure refunds paid by credit or debit card will be subject to a 5% processing fee, which will be subtracted from the total refund amount. 

Financing Available

If a treatment plan exceeds your insurance carrier’s coverage limit, or you don’t have insurance, we offer an easy-to-use payment plan through our patient-financing partner, Care Credit. There is no fee to apply, and it is a completely voluntary and confidential application.