We are pleased that you have chosen Kiwi Pediatrics as your child’s medical home. Please take a few moments to read these policies. We hope the following information will be useful and informative. Keeping these items in mind will make things work more smoothly for you and for us.
Appointments
We understand occasional circumstances prevent you from keeping your scheduled appointment. If possible, please notify our office in advance if you are running late or unable to make your appointment. Our scheduling coordinators will do their best to re-schedule you promptly.
No Shows / Late Cancellations
There is a $50 fee for missed appointments and a $25 fee for appointments cancelled less than 24 hours in advance if the space cannot be filled with another patient. This no-show fee must be paid before we can schedule another appointment for your child. If you miss three appointments without prior cancellation, we reserve the right to terminate responsibility for your child’s pediatric care. We will attempt to contact families by phone to confirm their child's appointment at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled visit. It should be noted that this is a courtesy call and that the parents or guardian are still responsible with keeping the appointment time as scheduled. We do not schedule "double-bookings" for siblings if it is their first visit to Kiwi Pediatrics.
Late Arrivals
If you arrive more than 15 minutes after the time of your appointment please expect the following: All on-time patients will be seen ahead of your child. We reserve the right to reschedule your appointment and charge a late cancellation fee of $25.
Walk-in Visits
Please understand that we must honor previously scheduled appointments, and by scheduling your child an appointment we are able to help you avoid long waits. By “walking-in” without a scheduled appointment, you are not guaranteed to be seen. If we can fit you in we will, but you will likely wait, possibly a long time. We offer same day appointments, so please call instead of “walking-in.” Scheduled appointments also allow us to triage our patients to help all families avoid unnecessary exposure to infectious diseases.
Fit-in Visits
If the receptionist offers you a “fit-in” appointment, please understand that these slots are estimates of when an available time may appear and are not as secure as regular appointments. These appointments are for brief, focused visits only. Please do not plan to cover general topics at a fit-in visit. If you need to bring more than one child, please let the receptionist know when you call. If you do not inform us, only one child will be seen.
Vaccination Policy
To read about Kiwi's philosophy and policy on vaccines and immunizations, please click here
Insurance and Billing
We accept over 300 insurances so that our patients won’t have to change practices if their insurance changes. Please bring your child’s current insurance card to every visit. Please be sure to notify our office of any change in your insurance coverage, address, phone, etc. If your insurance card is over 1 year old or doesn’t have the child’s name or our doctor listed as Primary Care Doctor, we will make one attempt to verify the insurance by phone. Enrollment forms do not guarantee eligibility. If we are unable to verify your child’s insurance, you must pay at the time of the visit.
If your child has no insurance, we can provide free vaccines and, sometimes, free check-ups. You must let us know before the visit. We can’t do this after you get the bill.
Please see our insurance page for more information.
Co-payments
Insurance companies require that we collect co-payments at the time of service. Since each employer group has different co-pay amounts, we ask that you know what your co-pays are for well-child visits and sick visits (they are often different). We accept cash, checks, Visa, Mastercard, or debit card. A service charge will be added if we have to bill you for a co-payment.
Authorization for Treatment
We need to have written permission of a parent or guardian to see a child who comes in with another adult. In an emergency we can accept a verbal authorization. An adult must accompany any child under 14 years of age. Children over 14 years of age but under 18 must have written permission of a parent or guardian to be seen without an adult. The exception to this requirement is that children over 12 years of age can legally be seen for “sensitive services,” problems related to mental health issues, sex, drugs or alcohol, without the permission of their parents or guardian and without an accompanying adult.
Referrals / Authorizations
Please give us a current insurance card and as much time as possible to process referrals and authorizations. If the problem is not emergent, and we have not seen your child for this condition, we will ask you to schedule an appointment. This ensures that appropriate referrals are made and helpful information can be given to the referral specialist.
Medication Refills
Whenever possible, please request refills from the pharmacy. They can fax us a refill request. This is much easier for the pharmacy and us than calling in another prescription.
Please pay attention to medications running low. Refills will not be handled outside of regular office hours. If there is a medical indication, or if your child is overdue for a check-up, we will require an appointment prior to refilling medicines.
Medical Records
Medical records must be requested in writing. The parent or guardian must sign the request. We will complete a medical record summary within 2 weeks. If a copy of the medical record is requested, a copying fee of $25 will be collected in advance.
Grievances
If you have a complaint or concern regarding your child’s care or your treatment in our office, we would appreciate if you would explain it in a confidential letter to any of the doctors or nurse practitioners. There is also a downloadable form that you may complete and mail or fax to our office. You may also file an official grievance with your insurance carrier by calling the customer service number on the insurance card. Any and all issues will be addressed as we are committed to ongoing quality and customer service improvement.
We value your trust in our care.
Thank you!