Credit Card on File Policy
West Georgia Dermatology is committed to efficiency and reducing waste. Our goal is to make the billing process as simple as possible. Effective December 1st, 2023, we require that you provide a card on file with our office. We accept all major Credit Cards, debit cards, Health Savings Account (HSA) card, or Flexible spending account (FSA) cards. All patients with insurance plans are required to have card on file regardless of insurance or visit type.
When you come in, we will scan your card and your payment information will be stored in our HIPAA compliant, secure software for future transactions. Office personnel will not have access to your card.
For your protection, only the last 4 digits of your card will show in our system.
Card on File will be used to pay:
Estimated Patient Responsibility on the day of service: We estimate Patient’s responsibility for the services rendered. This estimated fee is charged to your card-on-file on the day of your service.
Remaining Balance after Insurance completes processing your claim: Once your insurance completes processing your claim, they will send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to both you and our office showing your total patient responsibility. We use this to determine your remaining balance due, which will be applied to your card-on-file.
How does the card on file work?
Following your visit, we will bill your insurance company for the services rendered.
After your insurance completes processing the claim and our office receives the EOB, you will receive a notice via email for any remaining balance on your account.
You can call our office at 770-838-9333 within 5 days of receiving the email, for any questions or clarifications.
If you do not take action within 5 days, your card on file will be charged for the balance on your account.
Any Credit on your account after your insurance claim has been adjusted will be refunded to the card on file.
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Yes. This is our policy, and it is a growing trend in the healthcare industry. Nothing is changing about how much you pay. When you come to our office and receive a service, you do so with the understanding that you are ultimately responsible for the cost of your care. With the changing environment in healthcare, in particular with high deductible health plans, more responsibility of payment falls on the patient. We need to be sure that patient balances are paid in a timely manner. To do this, we need to ensure we have a guarantee of payment on file in our office. This is similar to hotels and rental car agencies that require a credit card to be kept on file.
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Convenience: Patients no longer have to worry about statements and mailing in payments. You can also use it to pay for future visits without having to bring your card to each visit. Having a credit card on file will make check-in and check-out easier, faster and more efficient for patients, and our office staff can spend time on things that are important for patient care.
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We use the same methods to guard your credit card information as we do for your medical information. The card information is securely protected by the credit card processing component of our HIPAA compliant practice management system. This system stores the card information for future transactions using the same sort of technology that any online retailer would. We can’t see the card number – only the last four numbers, giving us no way to use the card outside of the billing system.
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We will always work with you to understand if there has been a mistake. Should your card be mistakenly run, we will refund your card. We will only charge the amount that we are instructed to by your insurance plan in the EOB they send to us.
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Ultimately, you are responsible for knowing what services are covered, how often, and how much of the cost is your responsibility. You will be responsible for any portion of services that your insurance does not cover. If you disagree with how your insurance carrier processed the claim, you will need to contact their customer service department directly