FAQs

1. Do you accept my insurance?
   • Every patient is welcome at Kittridge Dermatology. We welcome all patients regardless of whether or not they are insured or what type of insurance they have. We simply do not bill insurance companies.
   • Our pricing is transparent. We use time-based billing, just like most other professional services. Since we do not accept insurance, we are able to be transparent about our pricing, and we charge what we say we do. For ancillary services, such as pathology and prescriptions, you may choose to use your insurance, however our fees/prices are often lower than those submitted through insurance.
   • Pathology fees, if required, are charged separately from your office visit. While insurance companies typically bill around $200 for this, our fee is currently a flat $70 collected at the time of your visit. You may choose to use your insurance or pay the cash fee, whichever is more advantageous for you.
   • We are not a traditional concierge practice and, therefore, do not charge a membership fee to be a part of our practice.
   • We accept Health Saving Accounts (HSA), Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), cash and credit cards (Discover, Mastercard, Visa). Payment is due at the time of service.
2. What does it mean to be a Direct Pay/Direct Care Practice?
   • Direct care is a model of healthcare in which patients pay their physician directly for their medical care. The physician does not bill the insurance company.
   • Although it may sound counterintuitive, patients usually save money, while experiencing a higher level of care, with a direct care model.
3. What about Medicare?
   • We welcome Medicare patients at Kittridge Dermatology!
   • Again, we still contract directly with the patient and do not bill Medicare for any of our services. You will be asked to sign a private contract with Kittridge Dermatology acknowledging that Medicare, Tricare, Medicaid or other government insurance programs cannot and will not be billed for services provided at Kittridge Dermatology.
   • You may still use your Medicare coverage for all of your other care provided by participating physicians, as well as diagnostic testing, prescription, hospitalization, etc.
   • With the exception of Medicare HMO plans, you may chose to use your Medicare insurance for pathology services. Medicare HMO insured patients would be subject to our then-current cash fee for pathology.
4. Can I be reimbursed by my insurance company for services rendered during my visit?
   • Those insured by Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or other government programs cannot submit claims for reimbursement retroactively.
   • Privately insured patients may attempt to submit claims to their insurer retroactively, however Kittridge Dermatology makes no representation that you will be reimbursed for these claims. We recommend that you check with your insurance company before submitting any claims.
   • There is a small $10 fee for coded receipts which are required for claims submission.
   • We provide the forms necessary for you to submit your out-of-network reimbursement/claims for the major local insurers on our website here.
5. Can I use my HSA and FSA to pay for my services?
   • Absolutely! We encourage all of our eligible patients to enroll in an HSA and to use these funds to pay for any services rendered at Kittridge Dermatology. Of course you do not need an HSA or FSA to be a patient in our practice.
6. How do I make an appointment?
   • Details of how to schedule the appropriate appointment to fit your needs are available here.
   • If you have any questions on how to schedule, please call us and we would be happy to help you.
   • Scheduling online is available and convenient.
7. What is the cost for an office visit at Kittridge Dermatology?
   • Our prices are posted here on our website and are completely transparent. Prices are subject to change without notice.
8. Can I still use my insurance for pathology fees, bloodwork and prescriptions?
   • Absolutely! Kittridge Dermatology does not contract with insurance, therefore, office visit and procedure fees are paid directly to the practice but you can choose to use your insurance for pathology, lab and prescriptions.
   • While you may choose to use your insurance for these services, many of our patients find our pathology fees, laboratory fees and prescription costs significantly lower than those billed through their insurance.