Fishtown Open House!
Please join us on Saturday, April 27th between 11am – 1pm for an Open House at our Fishtown office.
We’ll have snacks, crafts by Krafty Kids, live music with The Lara & Joe Show and more.
Come chat with our staff, tour our space, meet our specialists/workshop facilitators and enter to win gift certificates to local favorites in our FREE raffle. Help us celebrate spring!
Bring your family, your friends and your neighbors. All are welcome. We hope to see you there!
A is for….Appointments
Need to schedule an appointment for your child? We offer flexible hours to meet any schedule and a variety of options to set up your next visit. Read on to learn how you can connect with us quickly and conveniently – by phone, email, or patient portal – whenever you need us.
Well Visits
Patients who are new to our practice must call their preferred location to establish care and schedule their initial visit.
Patients who have already been seen in one of our offices have multiple options to schedule a well visit:
· Calling their preferred location and following the prompts to schedule an appointment
· Using the “Appointment Info & Requests” button on the home page of our website to share your preferred availability with our scheduling team. In turn, they will confirm the best match and reply to you via email with your appointment date and time.
· Log in into your Follow My Health (FMH) portal and follow the links to request an appointment. Just like with our website option, you can share your availability with our staff and then receive an email with your final appointment date and time.
Consult Visits
We are pleased to now offer established patients the option to request certain consult visits using the “Appointment Info & Requests” button on the home page of our website.
Consults can be scheduled for a variety of reasons, including:
· Feeding/nutrition for a child 3 years of age or younger
· Nutrition/weight check for a child 4 years of age or older
· Sleep issues
· Developmental/behavioral concerns
To be seen for any other concern, including headaches, abdominal pain, asthma follow-up or breathing difficulties, please continue to contact your preferred location by phone to schedule a visit.
Early Access
After hours self-scheduling continues to be available for all established patients experiencing sudden or worsening symptoms overnight. The Early Access link is available on our website after our office is closed and is appropriate for a variety of concerns. Please see our EA Policy for all the details and instructions on how to use this service.
Sick Visits
For children experiencing illness during office hours, it is best to contact your preferred location by phone. Our reception team can schedule most sick visit appointments right away. If an appointment might not be immediately necessary, they will connect you with our nurse triage service. Our nursing team will evaluate your child’s symptoms and advise as to whether you should continue self-care at home, come to the office or make a trip to the Emergency Room. Want a sneak peek at the resources our nurses use? Check out our Wait-Worry-Panic Guide or search our interactive Medical Library.
Please note that neither email nor our Follow My Health portal is an appropriate platform for requesting sick visits.
B is for….Billing Update
Medical offices that take insurance get paid by “coding” what they do. These codes are designated by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). A new code – G2211 – has been created for primary care providers to indicate that they are following patients longitudinally and are committed to caring for the “whole patient” over time.
Unlike urgent cares and emergency rooms, Center City Pediatrics takes pride in offering this type of care and is excited that CMS is finally recognizing what we do. As such, we will be adding this “code” to all permitted visits, which now includes all patient encounters except for those designated as “Well Visits”.
Unfortunately, many insurance companies are not paying for all the services we provide, even if CMS says we need to document and “code” for it. Some carriers will completely deny payment. Others will pass the charge on to the patient. We are not happy with their position, and feel it is unfair both to us and to you. But, per our contracts with the insurance companies, we must continue to code for services as instructed. If you receive a bill for this code (typically less than $20), we will not be able to waive the charge. Instead, we ask that you follow up with your carrier directly for reimbursement.
We take great pride in providing your child with the highest quality of care possible. Documenting and coding appropriately for the services we provide is necessary for us to continue to serve our families in this way.
C is for….Cash Back!
Patient refunds result from insurance company adjustments, usually due to overpayment of a claim. If you are entitled to a refund, our office will reach out to via email providing specific instructions as to how to receive this credit.
Have you received an email from our office indicating that you have a credit on your account? If so, visit our website for further instructions and to receive your credit.
ABCs & 123s….School is Always in Session!
In-person parent education workshops are in full swing at both our South Street and *Bala Cynwyd locations. Advanced registration is required for all classes. You do not need to be a patient of practice to join! Visit our website for details, facilitator bios and registration links.
Saturdays 4/6 OR 5/4 9:30am – 11am
Sundays *4/7 OR *5/5 9:30am – 11am
Monday 4/8 6pm – 7pm
Wednesdays 3/27 – 4/17 10am – 11am
Thursdays 9:30 – 11am
Tuesday 3/26 1:30pm – 3pm
Newborn Sleep & More (VIRTUAL)
Saturday 3/23 10am – 11:30am
Hear more about how sleep coaching can support you from facilitator Erica Desper
33 Rock Hill Rd
1740 South Street
2365 East York Street