Your medical home tracks your health history and illustrates important details about your unique needs. A Family Physician integrates your healthcare needs along with other specialists and physicians to create a comprehensive team assessing your health. You are respected and treated as a unique whole person with personalized care.

INSURANCE AND BILLING

We accept most commercial and federal insurance plans. Your insurance
policy is a contract between you and your insurance. We file your insurance claims as a courtesy to you and require you to provide us with complete and accurate insurance information so we are able to bill your insurance in a timely manner. Your co-payment, percentages and deductibles are collected at the time ofyour visit. Always bring your driver’s license and insurance cards to your appointments. Please contact your insurance carrier and ask if Dr. Poonawala or Dr. Khambati are providers under your insurance plan.

Know your insurance benefits!

We encourage you to know your own insurance benefits. Not all services are covered by insurance companies. In the event your insurance plan determines a service to be “non covered,” you are responsible for payment of services rendered. Call your insurance every three months to make sure that your benefit plan is current and inquire what your benefits are. If your insurance does not make payment within 45 days or requires you to contact them to update your plan, we expect you to make payment for services rendered.  It pays to be active and knowledgeable when it comes to your insurance plan and benefits!

The following are a few of the insurance companies we accept:

Aetna
AMD Healthplan
American Medical Security
Assurant Health
Banker’s Life
Benefit Planners
Benefit Systems & Services, Inc.      
Blue Bell Benefits Trust
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Celtic Life
Central Reserve Life, Inc.      
ChampVA
Cigna
Cooperative Benefit Administrators
CorpsCare Group Health Ins.
Definity Health
First Health
Great West
Group & Pension Administrators
Guardian Life
Health EZ
Humana
Medicare
Medicare Advantage Plans
Mail Handler’s
National Claims Administrative Services
Pacific Life Annuity
PacifiCare
PHCS – Out of network services
Principal Life Insurance Co.
Project Access
Seiba Limited
Seton EPN
Sterling Life
Texas Community Care
Texas True Choice
Tricare
Trustmark
Unicare
United HealthCare

Diagnostic Services
Diagnostic services are laboratory and radiology testing. Please check with your insurance prior to receiving any diagnostic services to see if the test and the facility are covered under your insurance plan! In the event that your insurance plan applies payment towards your deductible, coinsurance or “non covered” services, you are responsible for payment.

Vaccines
Check with your insurance prior to receiving any vaccines to see if that vaccine is covered under your insurance plan.

HMO Insurance Plans
If your insurance card has “HMO” on the front, you are required to call your insurance (the number is on the back of the card) prior to your first appointment to assign Dr. Poonawala or Dr. Khambati as your Primary Care Physician.

Secondary and Third Insurances
We are not required to bill your second and third insurance if you have more than one insurance. However, in good faith for our patients, we may bill your second and third insurance for you. If your insurance does not make payment or denies our claim, you become obligated to pursue the status of your balance with your insurance company. You must determine with your insurance companies which insurance is primary and which insurance is secondary or else your insurance will deny our claims and you will be responsible for the total balance owed. Please contact your insurance companies to verify which one is primary and which insurance is secondary before your scheduled appointment.

Motor Vehicle Accidents
For any medical appointment related to a motor vehicle accident, our policy is to collect full payment at the time of your visit. We provide you with an invoice and receipt of payment, which you may submit to your insurance company so they may reimburse you directly.

Mental Health, Alcohol and Tobacco issues
Insurances companies consider appointments related to mental health, alcohol, and tobacco use as “non covered” services and may require that you get a referral. You are responsible for obtaining any referrals required by your insurance before your appointment. Charges not covered by your insurance in regards to mental health, alcohol and tobacco use are your responsibility.

Minors
The adult accompanying a minor and the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are responsible for full payment. For unaccompanied minors, non emergency treatment will be denied unless an adult is present to accompany the minor and payment has been pre authorized to Visa / Master card, or payment by cash or check at time of service has been verified.

Payment Options
Full payment is due at the time of service unless prior arrangements have been made with your insurance carrier or you have made payment arrangements with our office. We accept cash, valid personal checks and Visa, Master and Discover cards. If you need to make payment arrangements, please call our office and ask to speak to our Billing Specialist. You are required to stay current on your monthly payments.

Statements
Monthly statements are mailed until the balance owed is paid or pending payment from your insurance carrier. We require you to stay current on your co payments, deductibles and payments and request you to pay your balance promptly to avoid past due, final notice or collection notices.