Financial Policy & Patient Policies

Financial Policy

We accept cash, checks, HSA payments and all major credit cards. Payments can be made in person and online through our website. You can also call our office, as we are happy to help process your payment. If you have a previous outstanding balance on your account, please plan to pay it before your next visit or at your next visit. For patients without insurance coverage or seeking a cosmetic service, payment is due at the time of service.

Insurance Information

Co-pays, Co-insurance, & Deductibles
Many insurance plans require us to collect a co-pay at the time of your visit. Your insurance card may note if your plan requires a co-pay, or it may not. Please familiarize yourself with your co-pay requirements, and be ready to pay your co-pay upon arrival at our office. Additionally, many insurance plans also require co-insurance. Co-insurance is often referred to as a percentage of the balance due. An example of this could be an 80/20 plan where your insurance pays 80% and you pay the remaining 20%.

Finally, many insurance plans require deductibles. A deductible is a set dollar amount you must pay out of pocket before your insurance begins to pay for any health care costs. If you do not know your co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible status, check with your insurance company before your visit. Co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles vary and are specific to your particular health plan. These levels are set by your employer in combination with your health plan. Your doctor’s office has no involvement with these decisions. If you have questions about insurance, please call your health plan using the number on the back of your insurance card. They can help you understand what is or is not covered by your insurance.

Insurance Plan Participation 

Please present your insurance card at your visit. If proof of active insurance is not given, you may be asked to pay for services upfront until proof of insurance is provided. 

Center for Dermatology participates in most major medical healthcare plans. Insurance plans vary in the amount of coverage and medical services provided. Please check your individual policy to confirm that Center for Dermatology is within your network. Center for Dermatology attempts to participate in every network, and to accept every insurance plan. In rare instances this may not be the case, so protect yourself by checking with your plan first. We are currently participating with these insurers:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Health Partners
• Medicare
• Medica
• Preferred One
• Cigna
• Aetna
• United Health Care
• Tricare
• Ucare
• Humana
• UMR

We are a member of Fairview Physician Associates (FPA). This means that if you are referred to Center for Dermatology by an MHealth Fairview medical provider, you do not need a referral.

Insurance companies require claims to be filed within a certain amount of time after service is rendered. Usually, this is 60 days or less. If we cannot file a claim because we have not received your proof of insurance before the end of that timeframe, you will be responsible to pay the full amount due. Please inform us of any changes to your billing or insurance information at the time of check-in to avoid this occurrence. 

If an insurance company denies payment for incomplete or wrong information, you will be responsible to pay the full amount due. 

If your insurance company requires an insurance referral or authorization, you must obtain this from your primary care provider or insurance company prior to your visit. We may require your assistance if we are trying to resolve non-payment issues with your insurance provider. Please help us, so we can help you. 

You are responsible for any portion of a bill that is denied or is not covered by your insurance provider, or if your insurer does not pay within a reasonable period. 

Patient account balances are due upon receipt of the billing statement. We mail statements regularly, so you will have ample opportunities to ask us any billing questions you may have. We are happy to assist you with any questions.

As of July 1, 2023, we will no longer accept sharing programs as insurance coverage. These programs are NOT health insurance, they are sharing programs, as stated on the membership card.

Patients with sharing programs are considered cash pay.

Center for Dermatology will not submit claims to these sharing programs.

Please consider this prior to scheduling your appointment.

If you choose to schedule an appointment for services, please be prepared to pay cash for your appointment at the time of service.

If you are an existing patient who has been using a sharing program, please contact Lisa Zabel, practice manager, at 952.469.5033 prior to your appointment to discuss transition options for this policy change.

Examples of these programs include, but are not limited to:

• Medishare
• Unite HealthShare Ministries
• Liberty Health Share
• Solidarity Health Share

Medical Records

If you would like to have your medical records transferred to Center for Dermatology from another facility or medical provider, please use the HIPAA-compliant Medical Record Release form available on our website. If you would like us to send a copy of your medical records to yourself or another facility or provider, a completed Medical Records Release form is required. The same Medical Records Release form found on our website can be used. Simply switch the “to” and “from” on the form so we know who to properly send the records to. Turn-around time for medical records is 7 business days.

Prescription Refills

For prescription refills, please contact your pharmacy to ask for a refill. If you have refills available, the pharmacy will fill your prescription. If you do not have additional refills remaining, your pharmacy will contact Center for Dermatology to request a refill from your medical provider . We require 48 business hours to process all refill requests.  Your prescription will be refilled if the proper medical criteria have been met – if not, you will need to make an appointment with your medical provider. An appointment is required to obtain a new prescription. 

Prescription Drug Formularies vary based on your insurance plan. All formularies are not the same, nor do they offer the same prescription coverage. Sometimes the medication you are prescribed may require a prior authorization or step therapy. If a prescription requires the completion of a prior authorization, it will be handled in a timely manner.  Insurance providers vary in the time it takes to process prior authorizations. Please keep in mind that completing a prior authorization does not mean the prescription will be covered or inexpensive. Some medications are just not covered, even when a prior authorization has been submitted and approved. Center for Dermatology medical providers will determine if completing a prior authorization is appropriate on a case by case basis. 

Collections

Please call our office if you have trouble making payments on your account. If possible, we will work with you to create a payment plan. For accounts with an outstanding balance over 90 days past due, that have failed to make payment arrangements, will accrue services charges and will be turned over to a collections agency. At that time, you will be terminated from the practice and patient services from Center for Dermatology will no longer be available to you. We will gladly forward your records to another physician once you notify us of your new clinic information using a HIPAA- compliant records release form.