What is a copay, co-insurance or deductible?
Please see our Insurance Terminology section for assistance in understanding common terms or phrases. Copays are required to be paid at the time of service.
Can I be billed for my copay?
All copays are due in full at the time of service. If you arrive to your appointment and are unable to pay your copay, you will be asked to reschedule to a later date. To make payment arrangements for your copay prior to your visit, please contact our Billing Department.
I lost my insurance card or photo identification. Can I still be seen?
If we are able to locate and verify your active insurance policy, you can still be seen without your physical card (please provide it to us as soon as possible). However, photo ID is required for all patients that are utilizing health insurance. This is to protect you as the patient, as we must confirm that identification matches the name of the insured. If you are unable to provide photo ID but have a valid (active) insurance plan, you would be treated as a Self-Pay Patient. If photo identification is provided at a later date, we may be able to submit your claim retroactively to insurance depending upon your plan’s filing guidelines. Once insurance has processed, you may contact the Billing Department to expedite a review of your account for potential overpayment.
How do I know if my service will be covered?
Contact your insurance plan to determine your benefits. Please refer to our list of common plans we participate with. You can provide our Tax ID number to your insurance plan to determine provider participation status and benefit level for the individual provider with whom you are scheduled. It is your responsibility to know if your insurance requires a referral. Depending on your insurance plan, a referral or authorization is necessary for some services prior to the appointment. Your primary care physician’s involvement may be required.
It is important to note that “covered” does not necessarily mean “paid”. Your insurance may cover a service with us but may still apply a balance to patient responsibility after processing the claim.
Why am I getting a bill when I was told my visit was covered by insurance?
It is important to note that “covered” does not necessarily mean “paid”. Your insurance may cover a service with us but may still apply a balance to patient responsibility after processing the claim. If a claim is applied to your deductible/co-insurance/copay, you benefit from your plan’s network discount because your insurance covered the service. Non-covered services are those that are denied fully by insurance and do not receive a network discount (you would be responsible for the full charge price). If you disagree with how your insurance processed the claim, please contact your plan directly.
Please be aware: we cannot alter the codes reported to your insurance for the sole purpose of ensuring coverage under your policy. Claims are submitted based upon the provider’s visit notes; modifying this information without supporting documentation would be a fraudulent billing practice.
Why am I receiving a notice from you stating that I need to contact my insurance?
If we are unable to resolve a claim issue with your insurance, it may become necessary for you to contact your plan to provide them with any requested information. Please remember that your policy is a contract between you and your insurance company. Failure to respond to your plan in a timely manner could result in full claim charges being released to patient responsibility for payment.
I have a medical sharing plan that is not considered “insurance”. How does that work with your office?
This will depend on the type of share plan that you have.
If your share plan ID card lists a claims mailing address or electronic filing information on it for providers, our office will submit the claim to your plan on your behalf. Once the claim is processed, you will receive a statement for any balance remaining after your plan has applied their network discount.
If your share plan card does not contain claim filing information or states that the patient must submit a bill directly to the plan, you will be considered a Self-Pay Patient and will be expected to pay in full at the time of your visit. You will not qualify for any time-of-service discounts per our office policy.
I don’t have health insurance. What are my options?
Please see our Self-Pay Patients page for information regarding this.
What is an ABN and why do I need to sign one?
An ABN is an Advanced Beneficiary Notice, also known as a waiver of liability signed by the Medicare patient prior to receiving service. The reason you are being asked to sign an ABN is that we believe, based on the information we received from your provider, that Medicare will deny payment for your service. Medicare requires that we notify you in writing whenever it is likely that you will have to pay the bill.
Why do you think that Medicare will not pay for this service?
Medicare only pays for services that it considers to be medically necessary only under certain circumstances, depending on the patient’s diagnosis.
Does my insurance cover preventive skin screening services?
The Affordable Care Act requires that group and individual health insurance policies include a “no cost” benefit for “preventive services,” which essentially include services that have been recommended with an “A” or “B” rating in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services (the “Guidelines”) published by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (“USPSTF”). Skin cancer screening is not recommended in the USPSTF’s Guidelines. Because the guidelines do not recommend skin cancer screening as a “preventive service,” we cannot submit claims as preventive visits or wellness exams, even if the screening is for malignant neoplasms.
Our providers are happy to see you for an exam; however, because skin screenings are not recommended in the preventive services guidelines, we are unable to submit claims for preventive skin screenings to your insurance as a “no cost” benefit under the Affordable Care Act.
Help me understand pathology charges.
When specimens are sent to an outside laboratory, these vendors will bill you separately. If your insurance policy requires the use of a particular lab, please notify our clinical staff at the time of your visit. If you do not request a specific lab at the time of service, we will send your specimen to one of our preferred labs. You will receive a separate statement from the outside lab for any balance owed for those services. If you have questions regarding a pathology bill, you will need to contact the laboratory in question.
I received a bill from Castle Biosciences. What should I do?
In certain circumstances, further testing is performed by Castle Biosciences to provide additional information about your skin cancer. Castle works with all insurances to secure payment coverage for tests. They will submit claims and manage the insurance billing process on behalf of patients. If you receive a bill from Castle, please contact them at the phone number listed on their statement. They do not charge patients for what insurance does not cover, but may need your permission to appeal a claim on your behalf.
Why does my statement say “Blue Cross Out of State”?
We are contracted directly with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City (BCBSKC), and our agreement with them extends to outside areas as well. Because BCBSKC is our “local” Blue Cross contractor, any plan that is not under Kansas City (including BCBS of Kansas) may reflect on your account as “Blue Cross Out of State”. This does not affect how your claims are processed.
I disagree with the information sent to my insurance. Who can I contact about this?
Notes are manually reviewed prior to insurance submission. We hold ourselves to the highest level of accuracy, and adhere to American Medical Association (AMA) and federal billing/coding guidelines. Questions regarding the content of your visit note should be directed to our clinical team. They will notify the Billing Department if any additional changes are needed for correction of your claim.
I haven’t received a statement yet. Do I have a balance due?
Patients are responsible for their visit balance even if a statement has not been received. If you have not received your Explanation of Benefits (EOB), please contact your insurance to verify if they have your claim on file for the service date in question.
If you have received your EOB but have not received a bill from us, please allow 30 days from receipt of your EOB before contacting our office regarding the balance due.
Why does my EOB say “surgery” when I didn't have surgery?
Some services rendered during your visit may be considered by the American Medical Association (AMA) to be a surgical procedure. Our office submits claims according to AMA guidelines. The procedure will be listed as a separate charge from your office visit and is subject to your medical plan guidelines on deductible, coinsurance and/or copay.
How do I make a payment?
Please click here to pay your bill. Payments can also be made over the phone with our Billing department at (816) 454-5603.
I am scheduled for a procedure and was given an estimated amount due. How do I pay this?
If you received a patient responsibility estimate that is due prior to your procedure, this can be paid online here. You can also pay this over the phone with your surgery scheduler, or with our Billing department.
I am scheduled for surgery, but my insurance details have changed. What should I do?
If your insurance policy has changed or you believe that the pre-surgery estimate is no longer up to date (your deductible has been met, etc.), please contact our office as soon as possible so that your account can be updated and/or reviewed.
I have an office visit scheduled and need to know how much I will have to pay.
Until you are seen by one of our providers, it can be difficult to anticipate what services may occur beyond that of your office visit examination. During your office visit, your provider may determine based on your symptoms, physical exam and/or history that additional in-office services/procedures are needed to properly identify and treat your condition. These services are considered a separate charge from the office visit itself. The Billing department is happy to provide potential CPT codes to you so that you can confirm with your insurance how your plan will process the claim to patient responsibility.
Will you submit to my secondary or supplemental insurance?
If you have secondary or supplemental insurance, please provide us with your insurance card and we will submit any balance to the plan. If your secondary or supplemental insurance does not cover the balance, or if you do not have secondary or supplemental insurance, the balance will be billed to you.
I have insurance but don't want the claim sent to my plan. Can I be seen?
Yes, it is your choice as a patient if you do not wish to utilize your health insurance for a visit. You will be required to pay for your services in full at the time of the appointment and may be asked to sign an acknowledgement that you are waiving your health benefit coverage for the date of service in question.
I am unable to pay my balance in full immediately. Can I set up a payment plan?
Please reach out to our Billing department (816-454-5603) for payment arrangements.
I paid an estimation of costs at the time of my visit. Why am I receiving an additional bill?
Quotes provided at the time of service are an estimation. We must wait for your insurance company to process your claims to determine a final bill.
Why was my last payment divided and applied to the bill in two separate places?
Your payment is posted to the oldest balance first unless you have a balance on a payment plan.
Whom should I contact regarding questions on my billing statement?
If you have questions or concerns, our Billing Department can be reached during normal business hours at (816) 454-5603.
Why did I receive a letter saying that my account is in a delinquent status?
These notifications are mailed only after our office has attempted to contact you via statement, phone call, or text message regarding an overdue balance. These courtesy letters are to inform you of the pending escalation to an outside collection agency if the account remains unpaid. If you receive this letter and are unable to pay the balance in full, please contact Billing to establish payment arrangements.
I attempted to make an appointment but was told that my account is locked due to an unpaid balance. How can I resolve this?
If the balance is still in-house, it can be paid online or over the phone with our Billing Department.
If a balance remains unpaid after an extended length of time, the account will be forwarded to outside collections. These must be resolved directly with our collection agency, Affiliated Management Services (AMS). They can be reached at (913) 677-9470. The collections balance must be paid in full prior to scheduling; please provide our staff with your AMS payment confirmation number so that full payment can be verified.
How can I obtain an itemized statement?
Our Billing Department can assist in providing you with an itemized statement. It can be sent to you securely via our texting platform Klara, encrypted email, by mail, or by fax. If arranged ahead of time, itemized statements can also be picked up at one of our office locations (Photo ID required upon pickup). Please call Billing at (816) 454-5603, or you can text your request via Klara to (816) 451-5214.
What is Klara and why do I receive text messages?
Klara is a HIPAA compliant form of communication we offer to patients who prefer to correspond via text. This is a great alternative to phone calls in the event a patient is travelling or away from a computer. Klara allows our staff to swiftly communicate with you about things such as appointment reminders, cancellations, medication, bill pay, and other concerns. Patients always have the option to call our office if they choose to opt out of using Klara.
How do I access my medical records?
All medical record requests are handled by our partnering service provider, ChartRequest. You can submit your request electronically to them by following the steps listed under the Patient Forms section of our website. ChartRequest can also be contacted by phone at (888) 895-8366, or by fax at (402) 218-4831.
