In order to achieve excellent service for our patients, many different factors must be thought through carefully. For example: dental insurance, appointments and payment options to name a few. All of these factors have been evaluated, and the following policies apply in order to maintain a high level of professional care.
Appointments
We realize your time is important to you; therefore, we schedule appointments so we can accommodate our patients. Our time is important and available to our patients, so PLEASE be sure to pick your appointment times and dates carefully. A 24-hours notice is requested for rescheduling or canceling appointments. All appointments you schedule are considered "confirmed."
You will receive a house call reminder the night before and an e-mail reminder two days prior to your appointment. You may receive text message reminders if you wish by logging in to our Patient Login on the website, and then clicking on the link Smart text. We can assist you with setting up these appointment reminders. Your scheduled appointment time has been reserved specifically for you.
Late Arrivals & Rescheduled Appointments
We at American River Orthodontics understand that unforeseen circumstances may occur, which cause you to change or overlook your appointment time. If you arrive late, we will try to accommodate you by working you into our schedule for the day. Please remember that you may have to wait to see us though we would be more than happy to see you. Each procedure in our office takes a specified period of time, and late arrivals can negatively affect our schedule and our ability to serve other patients. We will do our best to serve you if you arrive late, though we may not be able to complete all of the work.
If you will be arriving late, please call our office so we can make appropriate arrangements. If you do not wish to wait, we can reschedule your appointment by offering you the first available appointment or putting your name on a cancellation list in case a more convenient appointment becomes available.
We have created this schedule to be fair to everyone, and we appreciate your help in working with our Scheduling Coordinator.
Shorter Appointments
You may be amazed at how quickly technical adjustments can be made. These quick appointments can be scheduled at various times during the day. We are happy to provide you with a written medical excuse to avoid an unexcused absence from work or school.
Longer Appointments
Longer appointments are usually scheduled in the morning during the school hours. Thus, an entire afternoon is not committed to one or two patients. Instead, we are able to accommodate as many families as possible. As you can imagine, early and after-school appointments are booked heavily so that patients do not have to miss work or school.
Orthodontic Insurance
Our "Orthodontic Insurance" is designed to help pay part of the cost of your orthodontic treatment. Your employer may have made this coverage available to you; therefore, our office cannot guarantee eligibility, benefits or be responsible for insurances companies' responses to claims our office submits. This orthodontic insurance is NOT designed to pay all the fees associated with your treatment, but rather to be a PARTIAL AID. We will attempt to estimate your insurance benefits as much as possible and will submit claims for you. However, you are ultimately responsible for the entire fee for your treatment.
Financial
We at Dr. Michael Payne's office will make every effort to create a financial payment plan that meets your specific needs so that you can obtain the orthodontic treatment you need and deserve. Some of the options we offer are as follows:
- Low or no down payment
- Creative financing/monthly payment plans
- Extended payment plans up to 5 years
- Credit cards accepted (Visa, MasterCard)
- Electronic funds transfer
Accounts outstanding for more than 30 days from the original due date will bear a late fee of $15 per month. For any check that is returned to our office by the bank for insufficient funds, our office will assess a $35 fee to you.