Clinical Department

Surgery

Insurance and financial information

CHMC Surgical Foundation, Inc. currently bills for all office visits and procedures performed by the surgeons in the Department of General Surgery.

We are contracted with most insurance companies and therefore most likely accept your insurance. However, the options and coverage for these plans vary considerably.

We urge you to become familiar with your insurance to gain a better understanding of its rules and coverage. It is very important that you bring your child's insurance card to our office each time that you visit. All insurance companies have specific billing instructions that are usually found on your insurance card. Presentation of the actual card will reduce the likelihood of any errors.
 

Co-Payments

Co-payments are due at the time of your visit. Insurance companies require that patients pay their co-payment for each scheduled appointment. We appreciate your cooperation in paying your co-payment at the time of registration. Please check your insurance card for the amount due. We accept cash, personal checks, VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. ATM machines (Bank of America and Citizens) are conveniently located in the Hospital.
 

Waiver Fee

If you do not have a valid referral from your primary care provider (PCP), you will be asked to sign a waiver assuming all responsibility for payment of the visit. You will be asked to pay a $50 deposit. If you are able to obtain the referral from your physician before noon the following business day, we will refund your waiver deposit. After that time frame, we will refund your waiver deposit once payment is received from your insurance company for the visit.
 

Missed Visits

If you are unable to show for your visit, we ask that you call the office to cancel at least 1 business day (24 hours) in advance. We have a high demand for appointments, and this will allow other patients to use this time.
 

Referrals

A referral is a form and/or code number from your child's primary care physician or insurance company and is required for office visits with most HMO insurance plans. Referrals can vary in the number of visits they cover, the length of time that visits can be used, and the services covered. Please note that referrals do not guarantee coverage, so please check directly with your insurance carrier.

Below, you will find a list of insurance provider numbers for our attending physicians. Please reference these provider numbers when contacting your primary care physician's office or insurance company to obtain referrals. Confirm that the specialist is a member of your health insurance network, otherwise you may be subject to "out of network" costs.

Surgeon NPI Aetna BCBS Cigna HPHC United Tufts
Buchmiller 14977
80811
370
1443
J31
693
281
2456
AA2
3423
249
8929
081
480
Chen 12654
51751
217
8735
J21
686
546381
0-001
AA9
293
170
0627
076
614
Feins 14472
72737
228
7948
M07
351
095549
8-007
AA9
296
170
0039
031
046
Fishman 12351
64617
207
4339
J12
283
405761
7-003
AA9
297
170
0344
075
701
Jaksic 19725
38379
222
8947
J21
410
405761
7-003
AA9
306
170
0620
051
940
Jennings 12159
56701
210
4722
J30
876
379981
0-006
AA9
300
170
0683
758
029
Kim 11442
49632
274
9007
J24
797
404302
6-001
AA9
294
220
6002
204
858
Lillehei 12856
53766
207
4235
J02
005
415143
4-003
AA9
301
170
0349
728
913
Mooney 18816
13370
217
8655
J14
624
732703
3-005
AA9
292
170
0626
008
976
Papadakis 15280
46257
129
4810
J40
322
218
5715
AA6
3852
000504
442002
466
626
Puder 12855
671875
274
9183
J25
057
613139
0-001
AA9
295
220
5951
073
855
Shamberger 10432
39536
207
4234
E05
789
415141
3-005
AA9
304
170
0362
042
482
Weldon 17504
855884
133
7604
J40
321
837
6183
AA6
3850
000026
8261904
466
630
Wilson 19028
25481
099
8511
J06
905
414145
5-007
AA9
305
170
0363
057
801

 

Insurance Card

Please remember to bring your card or your child's insurance card to the office for each visit. We will ask to see your insurance card (or your child's card if your insurance company issues one in your child's name) to verify that we have the correct information. If you change insurance companies, please notify the office immediately so we may update our records.

 

Uninsured / Non-covered Services

Uninsured patients or services not covered by insurance companies may be eligible for a 40% discount at the time of service. Please contact our office to discuss this option.

Additionally, if you are uninsured or have limited income, you may qualify for public assistance or free care. Depending on your income level, all or part of your medical costs may be covered by the medical center under the free care provision of state Medicaid Law. For more information, contact Financial Counseling at 617-355-7201.

 

Billing Issues

Billing issues are substantially reduced when families contact their insurance company directly prior to their initial visit and obtain any necessary authorization in advance.

Should you experience billing issues, please contact our billing office at 800-224-7070. You may need to also contact your primary care physician's office or insurance company to help rectify the account.

A list of FAQs regarding billing is available online.