Policies

Pirate Pediatrics follows American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for Attention Deficit/Hyper Activity Disorder. ADHD appointments require up-to-date Well Child Visits per the Bright Futures/AAP schedule. At all ADHD visits, consults and follow-ups, Vanderbilt forms are required from parents and teachers. You MUST provide both Teacher and Parent Vanderbilt forms 24 hours prior to your appointment or you will be asked to reschedule and will NOT receive medications. Due to the medication side effects used to treat ADHD, rechecks are mandatory every one to three months. See ADHD Medication Policy for more details

Pirate Pediatrics prohibits verbal or physical abuse or threats of any kind to our providers and staff. Harassment and profanity will not be tolerated. This type of behavior will lead to immediate dismissal from the practice. Firearms and knives are prohibited on our Any item that could be used as a weapon (razor blade, box cutter, etc.) is prohibited.

COVID-19 has continued to be prevalent in our country, state and in our local communities. Pirate Pediatrics has made many changes within our office to protect patients, caregivers, staff and visitors. As we work to provide a safe environment, we are following the recommendations of the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and government leaders. In accordance with those recommendations, all patients and caregivers, age five and over, are required to wear a face covering. The face covering must remain on throughout your time at Pirate Pediatrics. If you arrive without a face covering, we will, unfortunately, ask that your visit be performed via telemedicine or rescheduled. We do have masks available for a $1.00 donation to the North Carolina Pediatric Society. Thank you for helping to stop the spread!

• Payment is required at the time services are This includes applicable coinsurance and copayments for participating insurance companies. Co-payments are collected at the time of service. The person bringing your child is responsible for payment. Patient refunds will be reviewed on a per claim basis. Upon confirmation and approval of refund, payment will be issued to the account holder. Please do not involve us in custody/payment issues. A $15 service fee will be charged in addition to your co-pay if your co-pay is not paid at the time of service.
• PIRATE PEDIATRICS accepts cash, check (in-state only), and major credit There is a $35 service fee for all returned checks and your account will be placed on a cash only status. If you owe additional fees after your visit, you will receive a statement and payment is expected within 10 days of your statement. Failure to pay outstanding balances will result in accrual of interest, collection notices and dismissal from PIRATE PEDIATRICS.

• According to your insurance plan, you are responsible for understanding your co-pays, deductibles and coinsurances. We bill participating insurance companies as a courtesy to You are expected to pay your deductible and copayments at the time of service. If we have not received payment from your insurance company within 45 days of the date of service, you will be expected to pay the balance in full. You are responsible to be sure all charges are paid whether by you or by your insurance carrier. Your time-of-service receipt includes all information necessary for submitting claims to your insurance company.
• Services not covered by your insurance plan will become your financial responsibility. Some services that may not be covered include developmental screenings, vision and hearing tests, and mental health services. We have contracts with the following insurance companies: Aetna, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Cigna, MedCost, United HealthCare, Tricare, and NC Medicaid – Direct, HealthyBlue or WellCare. You should verify with your plan if Pirate Pediatrics is in network. You will be responsible for all out of network costs.
• Pirate Pediatrics is your primary care provider. Please CONFIRM Pirate Pediatrics appears on your most up-to-date card. If your insurance has not been informed that Pirate Pediatrics is your primary care provider, you will be responsible for any addtional costs.
• If you need assistance or have questions, please contact PedsOne Billing Service between 9:00 m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at (866) 371-6118.

Patient/guarantor credits in amounts less than $20.00 will be retained on account to be credited toward future balances unless a written request for refund is received. Amounts $20.00 and greater will be reviewed on a per claim basis. Upon confirmation and approval of refund, payment will be issued to account holder.

NC Health Assessment and Children Medical Report forms are free of charge. Camp forms, sports forms, FMLA forms, special request physician letters, and others at our discretion are completed at a charge per form/letter There is a $15 fee for all non- NC Health Assessment forms. Forms will be processed within five business days. If you require forms to be expedited, our fees range from $20 to $40 depending on the request. Insurance does not cover the cost of form completion. Please see full policy for details.

Please provide 24 hours notice of any appointment cancellations. Failure to do so will result in a No Show. If you are 15 minutes late for your scheduled appointment time, you will be considered a No Show and will be required to reschedule. Appointments that are cancelled in less than 24 hours or missed appointments will result in a fee. Please see our Financial Policy for details. Two or more missed appointments on your account will result in discharge from the

Pirate Pediatrics values the importance of vaccines and promotes their ability to prevent disease. We follow the CDC schedule for vaccines. All patients must be vaccinated according to the CDC schedule for vaccines to remain a patient at Pirate Pediatrics.