We do not accept assignment from insurance companies.
First, in keeping with a free enterprise philosophy, our policy regarding insurance has always been that we choose to work directly with and for our patients, rather than indirectly through an insurance company. Therefore, we have never joined any HMOs, PPOs or other types of managed care. Furthermore, our doctors have opted out of the Medicare Program, thus they are only able to see Medicare eligible patients who first elect to pay in full for all services rendered and subsequently sign a Medicare “Waiver” in which they agree not to seek reimbursement from Medicare for medical care received at our office.
HMOs, PPOs, managed care entities, and even indemnity insurance plans are not in the business of helping individuals obtain and maintain health and wellness. Rather, insurance companies are in the business of selling medical insurance plans for profit. While we have no problem with an insurance company’s right to make a profit, we do believe that for our practice to sign on with them, giving them permission to reduce reimbursement levels or, even worse, deny you, their client, the right to seek medical treatment or advice without first seeking their approval, is fundamentally wrong and deleterious to your health and the health of all individuals.
We believe that each individual is the best person to decide whether or not he or she needs medical care, not a clerk working for an insurance company, someone who has neither seen nor evaluated the individual regarding his or her health questions.
Second, because we seek to prevent disease and promote wellness, many of our medical services are not covered by most insurance companies.
Finally, though we don’t accept assignment, if you have indemnity insurance coverage, then we will provide you with an insurance-ready receipt after receiving your payment that you can use to submit a claim to your insurance company, with any reimbursement from them being paid directly to you. Many plans will partially cover services such as labs and some medications. In addition, many plans will apply the evaluation costs and other services towards your deductible.