Ways we can keep your medical costs down:
As you, we are aware of rising medical costs and have a number of ways to keep your medical costs down:
- Our phone advice is free and can often save you expensive after-office hours ER visits.
- We have a reduced charge rate that is in effect when you need to be seen on a frequent basis (ie., routine follow-ups on ear infections) or in case of frequent visits due to illness.
- We can help lower your medication costs by dispensing free drug samples in the office when available, utilizing generic products and also working within the medical formulary of your insurance company when possible.
We encourage parents-to-be to come in during the last month of pregnancy for a free prenatal visit or in the case of incoming pediatric patients, a “meet and greet” visit so that we can get acquainted and answer any questions or concerns.
You’ll find we have a flexible approach to finances:
Filing insurance claims is an additional service that we provide to our patients. Please check with your insurance company before your scheduled well care visit to make sure that it will be covered.
We bill directly to most insurance companies – please call our office to find out if we accept assignment on YOUR insurance.
Billing Specialist
If you have Medicaid coverage, remember new babies need their own Medicaid number. Call the Medicaid Options Line 1-877-711-3662 to get your child assigned to Sarasota Children’s Clinic. You may need to do this each time you re-certify. YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR CHARGES INCURRED WHEN PROPER COVERAGE IS NOT IN PLACE.
If your insurance company requires you to meet a deductible you will be expected to pay at time of service until deductible has been met even though we are assisting you in filing your claims. Send us a copy of your insurance card so that we may check your benefits before your visit. We are providers for many insurance companies and many different types of HMOs, including the Healthy Kids Program. Our Billing Team is here to help you – don’t hesitate to call.
LOIS – Lois is sorely missed! She was the anchor of our Billing Department for 31 years and was a part of all of our lives. Lois passed in May 2020. We remember her dedicating a huge part of her life to this practice: she and Dr. Carola Fleener began working at the Sarasota Children’s Clinic at the same time, back in the “olden days” when they didn’t even have computers. Lois was loyal, honest, and cared about our patients as if each one of them was part of her extended family. She always had a moment to offer understanding, caring, and practical thoughts to all of us and held our babies. She helped us laugh each day! What an honor, to have known Lois….
Insurances Accepted
- Aetna Better Health/Healthy Kids
- Aetna HMO/ PPO/ POS
- Allstate PIP/ Med PayAmerican Medical and Life Insurance
- Assurant Health
- AVMED Inc
- BCBS Canadian Service Unit
- BCBS of Florida
NO: Blue Select, My Blue,
Blue Care, Simply Blue - BCBS Health Options
- Beech Street
- Cigna
- CMS/WATCH
- CoreSource Inc
- Coventry Healthcare
- Empire Plan
- Esurance
- Farm Bureau Insurance
- First Health Freedom Life Insurance Company
- GEHA
- GEICO
- Golden Rule Insurance
- Great West Life Cigna
- Great West Health Cigna
- Key Insurance Plan
- Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance
- Medicaid
- Medical Mutual of Ohio
- Meritain
- Molina Health Care Inc
- Mutual of Omaha
- Optum Health Insurance
- Palmetto GBA/ Tricare
- PHCS
- PHCS Multiplan
- SimplyHealth Healthy Kids/ MCD HMO
- State Farm Auto Accident
- Sunshine Health
- Tricare South Region
- Tricare For Life
- United Health Care
- UMR
Referrals and Authorizations
If one of our physicians has recommended that your child be evaluated by a sub-specialist or has ordered tests or imaging and you are on a managed care insurance plan please contact Valentina in our Referrals Department at 923-3667 Extension 317 so that she can help you obtain the authorizations from your insurance company and make these contacts. Our physicians have longstanding excellent relationships with the specialists who provide guidance in advanced medical care for our patients and we participate in selecting the providers and overseeing the referrals process. You can help us by calling the phone number of the specialist provided to you by our physicians to make your appointment, then notify Valentina right away so that medical records or authorization requests can be sent in a timely manner. If there is any difficulty in obtaining a prompt and medically appropriate evaluation please let us know so that we can provide further assistance!