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| Financial Policy | |
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In June we updated our financial policy. Our unique and small practice can only survive financially if our patients pay all balances in full and on time; no exception. For this reason, we have adopted a strict financial policy which now includes a $5 statement fee if we have to mail a bill to you for co-pays we attempted to collect at the time of service. We also routinely dismiss patients from the practice who do not pay in full and on time, even for small amounts.
If you need assistance with paying for medical services, please contact Health Care for All at www.hcfama.org or 800-272-4232. Health Care for All is a free Massachusetts resource that can answer general insurance questions, tell you what free and lower-cost programs you may be eligible for, and help you to apply. For qualified patients, we are happy to bill Mass Health as a secondary payer.
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| Health Insurance | |
| A common misconception is that our office, that any doctor's office, understands insurance plans. Most of the time we are as confused as patients as to why one service is paid for when another is moved to the patient's deductible. At Performance Pediatrics, we want you to know that we spend a great deal of time educating ourselves as to changes in health insurance and still we are routinely dumfounded by insurance plans.
The bottom line is that when you have questions about your insurance plan, you have to ask the insurance company.
At Performance Pediatrics we follow all coding and compliance rules and regulations and, when in doubt, rely on the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the Massachusetts Medical Society. We are routinely audited by outside sources to ensure that our billing is accurate and appropriate.
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A Special Note From the Desk of Terence R. McAllister, M.D.
Before a student can participate in sports they need a physical and clearance from a doctor. This past quarter I spent a lot of time completing sports forms for patients, but with mixed feelings, especially for football.
It is estimated that more than 140,000 high school athletes across the US suffer from a concussion every year. Concussions occur most frequently in football. The effects of concussions are cumulative; every time an individual gets a concussion the brain is damaged and does not fully recover. Helmets do not prevent concussions.  I accept that parents and patients have the right to choose to play dangerous sports and that is why I conduct the physicals and sign the forms when, in my medical opinion, the child meets the minimum health status to play. Personally I have decided to not allow my son, Andrew, to play football and I want to make this clear: I think the risk of injury in football is too high for any child. For more information on the subject, I recommend watching League of Denial (it's free to stream online).
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Vaccination Corner
| Hepatitis A
 When our receptionist prints a patient's next appointment confirmation letter, it includes a list of vaccines given to date as well as a list of vaccinations that are due in the future. This letter is very popular with parents, although there has been some confusion over the hepatitis A vaccination. Let us explain. The Hepatitis A vaccine was introduced in 1995 and, at the time, was recommended only for high risk populations. In 2006 the recommendation was changed to include all children. It is now recommended that all children should receive hepatitis A vaccine at age 1 year (i.e., 12--23 months). Vaccination should be completed according to the approved schedules (a second dose is needed at least 6 months after the first dose). Children who are not vaccinated by age 2 years can be vaccinated at subsequent visits, especially if they are felt to be at high risk (i.e. traveling outside of the country). At Performance Pediatrics we routinely vaccinate children less than 2, but only vaccinate older children if it is clinically indicated. If your child is over age 2, and did not receive Hepatitis A vaccine as a baby, the next appointment letter may state that the hepatitis vaccination is due when, in fact, it may not be if there is no clinical indication to give the vaccine to your child. Dr. McAllister is working on correcting each patient's chart so that the hepatitis vaccination only appears if needed. This will take some time and we apologize for the confusion this has caused. Of course, if you have any questions at all about this or any vaccination, you make speak with Dr. McAllister or Nurse Practitioner Jen about it. "Hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver. Causes of hepatitis include toxins, certain drugs, some diseases, heavy alcohol use, and bacterial and viral infections. Hepatitis is also the name of a family of viral infections that affect the liver; the most common types are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Although each virus causes similar symptoms, they have different modes of transmission and affect the liver differently. Hepatitis A results from infection by the Hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter - even in microscopic amounts - from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces, or stool, of an infected person. Symptoms of hepatitis A virus include fever, weakness, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine, and yellow eyes and skin. Adolescents and adults are more likely than young children to develop signs and symptoms of disease, and are more likely to experience severe disease. Hepatitis A appears only as an acute or newly occurring infection and does not become chronic. Treatment is not needed and people with Hepatitis A usually improve over time. For more information on hepatitis A visit here.
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| Family Continuity @ Performance Pediatrics |  Behavioral Health Care is Primary Pediatric Care
Family Continuity @ Performance Pediatrics is designed to help our patients, your children, build resilience and learn tools to handle stress.
When young patients have worries about anything, from bullying in school to a parental separation or the death of a grandparent, the stress of such events impacts the health and behavior of our children. At Performance Pediatrics we have successfully referred many of our patients to wonderful counselors and therapists outside of our practice and we will continue to do so.
For some families in need of behavioral health care, the first step of an initial evaluation is the hardest part. To make the transition into mental health care comfortable for our patients, Family Continuity @ Performance Pediatrics will bring a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) to an exam room at Performance Pediatrics to conduct the initial 1 - 3 visits typically done at the Family Continuity office.
Family Continuity @ Performance Pediatrics visits will include:
- Consultations with parents with worries about their child's emotional, behavioral or relational health
- Support services and suggestions for parents as to how to intervene/help their child cope with stress
- Evaluations to determine a child's emotional/mental health needs and the making of a plan if ongoing interventions or a referral for treatment is needed
Behavioral health care is primary pediatric care! At Performance Pediatrics we believe that it is our job to make sure our patients are achieving appropriate milestones, adopting healthy habits and weathering any illnesses, both physical and mental, they encounter in their young lives. We believe that Family Continuity @ Performance Pediatrics is an important piece in finding mental health care for our patients. |
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Be well,
Medical Director
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Jennifer L. Simmons, CPNP
Medical Home Care Coordinator
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