Our Policies

Vaccine Policy

We believe that fully vaccinating your child is one of the most important things you can do to secure your child’s health. Our practice is pro-vaccination, and we follow the vaccine schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. While we do not mandate the flu, COVID-19, and HPV vaccines, we highly encourage our patients to get them.

We have created our policies with the safety and well-being of our patients in mind. We only allow for alternative or customized vaccine schedules on a case-by-case basis after discussion with a provider. We require patients who transfer into our practice and are behind on their vaccine schedule to agree to a catch-up schedule to become patients with us.

Birth to 6 years old Vaccine Schedule: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-schedules/downloads/parent-ver-sch-0-6yrs.pdf

7 to 18 years old Vaccine Schedule: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-schedules/downloads/parent-version-schedule-7-18yrs.pdf

If you choose not to vaccinate your child our practice may not be a good fit for you and your family.

We know Information comes from many sources, and it can be tough to figure out what exactly to follow. We are here to give you the most up-to-date and medically-accurate information to help you feel confident in your decisions. If you have concerns about the effectiveness or safety of vaccines, we are happy to talk with you about it.

Financial & Insurer Policy

We understand that financial matters can sometimes be difficult to discuss. It’s important that we all have a clear understanding of what’s expected.

Patient Responsibility

It is your responsibility to confirm with your insurance that Treasure Valley Children’s Clinic is in-network prior to your first appointment. If you are seen and your insurance is not accepted, you will be financially responsible for the visit.

Your insurance determines what you’ll need to pay, including copays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket limits. Contact your insurance company for details on what they cover. After they’ve passed on your portion of the visit to us, it’s our responsibility to bill and collect payment from you directly.

Billing for All Care Provided

We have to report all services and bill according to our fee schedule. Just like it’s a contract violation for you not to pay your insurance premium, it’s also a contract violation for us to not charge or undercharge for our services.

Insurance Cards

Bring your child’s insurance card to each visit. This helps us ensure we have the correct information and bill the right insurance.

Copayments

We are required to collect copayments at the time of your appointment. We can’t waive this payment for any reason due to our contract agreement with your insurance company. If you forget to pay your copay at the time of your appointment, no worries! Just be aware that if it happens more than once, we may charge a missed copay fee of $10. Enroll in our Auto Pay program to avoid this fee, and keep your credit card on file for easy payments.

Medically-based treatment

Treasure Valley Children’s Clinic prioritizes your child’s health by following the recommended routine screenings, including developmental, hearing, and vision, anemia, and lead tests. Unfortunately, not all insurance plans cover these screenings, so patients need to understand their coverage and inform our office if a screening is not covered before their appointment.

Time of Service Discount

No insurance or out-of-network? Pay in full at your appointment and receive a discount. This discount only applies on the day of the visit and can’t be applied to the portion of the bill you’re responsible for under your insurance plan, as that’s already discounted through our contract with your insurer.

Additional Fees

Medical Forms
Need a medical form filled out? We offer it as a free service, but it may take up to 10 business days due to high demand. Need it sooner? Our rush service is available for $10 per form and will be ready within 3 business days. Payment is required when the form is dropped off or sent.

Medical Records
Transferring from Treasure Valley Children’s Clinic and need your records? We’ll compile your summary of care, immunizations, growth chart, and last physical report for free. Full medical record, including all visits and notes, has a $15 handling fee.

Missed Copay
If you forget to pay your copay at the time of your appointment, no worries! Just be aware that if it happens more than once, we may charge a missed copay fee of $10.

Outstanding Personal Balance
Outstanding balances that become 60 days due may be assessed a $25 late fee. After 90 days, you will not be able to schedule appointments until the balance is paid. After 120 days, your account will be reviewed for collection agency placement.

Newborns

As new parents, we understand that you have a lot going on, but it’s important to remember to add your newborn to your insurance policy within the first 30 days. Failing to do so may result in you being financially responsible for any visits not covered, so don’t wait until it’s too late!

Account Balances

We expect all patients to pay their bills in full within 30 days of receiving a statement from us. Please get in touch with our office to set up a payment plan if you need more time to pay the balance. To ensure your account stays up-to-date, consider enrolling in our Auto Pay program, where you can securely keep your credit card on file.

• 60 Days: A late fee of $25 may be added to your account
• 90 Days: Not allowed to schedule appts
• 120 Days: Will be reviewed for collections

Failure to pay an overdue balance on your account, or set up and abide by an agreed-upon payment schedule, can be cause for dismissal from Treasure Valley Children’s Clinic.

We accept various forms of payment, including credit cards, checks, and cash. A $25 fee will be added to your account if your check is returned.

Auto Pay / Credit Card On File

To make managing your medical expenses easier, we offer Auto Pay – the option to keep a credit card on file for quick and secure payments. Your credit card information is securely stored with our payment processing vendor, not in our computer system.

• We will automatically charge the credit card on file for account balances under $200, including copayments and deductibles.
• We will not charge your card for account balances until you have received your explanation of benefits statement from your insurance company.
• We will email you a receipt anytime we process a charge.

Auto Pay helps you avoid additional billing fees and makes checking in for your appointment easy!

Minors

Anyone accompanying a minor to their appointment is responsible for taking care of any payment due, like a copay. To make things super easy, you can pay over the phone using your credit card or, even better, enroll in our Auto Pay program!

Well Child Visits

Your child’s yearly physical is all about keeping your little one healthy. Unfortunately, if any new issues arise or we discuss managing chronic conditions during the visit, your insurance will require us to bill a separate claim and collect a copayment. These two parts of the visit must be billed and filed separately; otherwise, it is in violation of our insurance contracts.

Overpayment

Occasionally there may be an overpayment made on an account. Provided that there are no outstanding balances on the account, we will ensure that a refund is issued within 60 days of the initial credit.

Custodial parenting arrangements

We understand that parenting arrangements can be complicated, but we’re looking to you when it comes to paying for your child’s medical care. No matter what your divorce decree, custody agreement, or other arrangement says, you’re responsible for covering the cost of the care we provide to your child. To help, we’ll provide receipts for any medical bills you pay if you need them.

Termination of Practice-Patient Relationship

In rare instances, Treasure Valley Children’s Clinic may ask a family to transfer care out of our practice. Reasons for this request may include, but are not limited to:

• Repeated no-shows or late arrivals, which is unfair to our providers and patients and strains our practice;
• Unkind and disrespectful treatment of our staff, which is never tolerated;
• Rude or disruptive behavior
• Refusal to pay fees owed to the practice (or refusal to make or follow through with an agreed-on payment plan);
• Irreconcilable differences in medical philosophy; and
• For any other reason, the practice, in its sole discretion, deems termination of the practice-provider relationship is warranted.

Appointment Policies

Mask Policy

We do require certain sick visits to wear a mask along with the staff in the room with them. This includes all respiratory symptoms. Please be kind if you or your child is asked to wear a mask.

Cancel/Reschedule/Missed Appointments

We understand that unexpected circumstances may arise, causing you to miss an appointment. To better serve our other patients, we kindly request that you inform us before the office opens on the day of your appointment so we can offer your slot to someone in need. It will be recorded as a no-show if you miss, cancel, or reschedule an appointment without proper notice.

If a family accumulates three missed appointments, they may be dismissed from the practice.

Missed Double Appointment

For your convenience, we offer the option of double appointments for parents with two children needing to be seen on the same day. However, we will restrict this option for future visits if you miss a double appointment without proper notice.

Late Arrivals

If you’re running behind schedule, please call us to see if we can still accommodate you, the next patient kindly thanks you for showing up on time.

Well Visits

Yearly well visits are an important part of maintaining your child’s health and wellness. During these visits, we’ll perform routine screenings and check-ins. Every patient must be up to date on wellness care in order for us to provide refills of medications, referrals, or other coordinated services.

During the visit if new health concerns arise, we need to discuss the management of chronic conditions or prescribe medications, your insurance requires us to file a separate claim for this portion of the appointment, which may result in a copayment.

To ensure your child’s concerns are properly addressed, we may ask you to schedule a follow-up appointment if we cannot address all concerns in the allotted time.

Chronic Conditions

Conditions that require medication need routine monitoring. For example, patients receiving birth control medication must be seen at least once per year, patients with asthma must be seen at least every six months, and patients on medication for ADHD, depression, and anxiety must be seen at least every three to four months to monitor dosage, side effects, and any other changes. More frequent appointments may be required depending on individual situations.

Once per year, this follow-up visit may be combined with a well-child visit. Your insurance requires us to file a second claim for this part of the visit, and a copay may be collected.

Medication Refills

Please submit refill requests through the patient portal or by calling your pharmacy a few days in advance to ensure you don’t run out of your prescription. Our team will process the refill request within 48 hours. Sometimes, we may need to schedule a visit to review your child’s health and medications.