Happy Easter y’all! We will have reduced hours on Good Friday and Monday(open 8:30 till noon) so our staff can enjoy the holiday weekend with their loved ones. We hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend!

Happy Heart Pediatrics PLLC is committed to reducing waste and inefficiency and making our billing process as simple and easy as possible. Starting January 31, 2023, we now require that you provide a credit card on file with our office. We run our payments through our HIPAA-compliant, secure practice management software Athena. When you come in, we will scan your card with a card reader. Your payment information is stored on Athena’s secure servers for future transactions. Office personnel will not have access to your card. For your protection, only the last 4 digits of your card will show in our system. 

Credit Card on File will be used to pay account balances after insurance adjudication. Once your insurance has processed your claims, they will send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to both you and our office showing what your total patient responsibility is. You typically receive the EOB before we do, so if you disagree with the patient responsibility amount owed, it is your responsibility to contact your insurance carrier immediately. 

If you are needing a payment plan for your account balance please contact our office within five days of receiving your first statement. On the fifth day after receiving your first statement, your account balance will be charged in full if no payment plan has been agreed upon with our office. We offer 2, 3, and 6 month payment plans. Ultimately it is your responsibility to pay your account balance but we will be happy to discuss any available options you might have as long as you do so promptly.

If you have any general financial question please see Happy Heart Pediatrics PLLC financial policy on our website or in our office. 

Notes:  

• During the time you leave a credit card on file, if it expires or otherwise becomes uncollectible, we will expect you to promptly provide a new means of payment.  
• Credits on your account after your insurance claim has been adjusted will be returned to the credit card on file when requested.  
• Ultimately, you are responsible for knowing what services are covered, how often, and how much of the cost is your responsibility. You will be responsible for any portion of services that your insurance does not cover.  
• To avoid any issues of discrimination or favoritism; all patients will be required to have a credit card on file regardless of insurance or visit type.

FAQs 

When I booked my appointment, the receptionist told me I have to keep a credit card on file with the office. I’ve never heard of that before. 

This is not surprising that this is new to you, as it is not yet the norm in this area. Credit Card On File (CCOF) is the new standard in the healthcare industry nationwide since about 2016, and soon all of the high quality medical practices will adopt it. Insurance reimbursements are declining and the expectation is that health care providers find ways to become more efficient. This year with the Affordable Care Act and the Health Exchanges, we are seeing a massive increase in patient deductibles. These factors are driving many doctors’ offices to either squeeze more patients into shorter periods of time or to stop accepting insurance. We have decided to focus on becoming more efficient instead.

How does CCOF work? I’m nervous about giving up my sensitive financial information.

Your card information is securely protected by the credit-card processing component of our HIPAA-compliant practice management system. This system stores the card information for future transactions using the same sort of technology that credit card company’s use. We cannot access the entire card number – we only can see the last 4 digits. There is no way to export the card information out of our system. We can only use it to process a payment in our practice management system, which creates an indelible record (one that cannot be deleted).

How the credit card on file system works to drive down administrative costs.

Our staff will now spend less time entering credit card information for each transaction. We also don’t have to send out as many statements, which saves trees, money and time. Once your CCOF is in our system, check-in and check-out time is much shorter for you as well.

I always pay my bills on time. Why do I have to do this? 

The entire billing process is wasteful but the few patients that we have to bill multiple times or even send to a collections agency do cost us a lot of time and expense. Reducing unnecessary costs is essential for us to continue to accept insurance and Medicare. This new process dramatically cuts down on the administrative costs associated with billing.

Nothing is changing about how much you pay. When you come into our office and receive a service, you do so with the understanding that you are ultimately responsible for the cost of your care. We bill your insurance company for you, and we have contracts with most insurance companies that help to get you the best possible coverage for your care. CCOF will only cover your responsibility after your insurance pays its contracted share.

How does the CCOF process benefit patients?

First and foremost, it is far more convenient for you – you don’t have to call the office or buy a stamp or worry about getting around to paying the bill. It takes the hassle out of the process, especially for patients who have HSA cards to pay for their medical care. If you get your statement and want to use a different card, pay by check, or discuss a payment plan, you may still do so as long as you do so promptly.

What if there is a problem with my bill and I don’t notice it until after the payment processes?

We hope that this doesn’t happen. And although we love technology in this office, we routinely review the accuracy of claims processed by insurance and will contact you if WE find a problem. But, if you find a problem, call us and we’ll investigate it. If we owe you money, we will refund it promptly to the same card.

Pediatric Allergy Testing

Needle-free Testing The first step to ending allergies in your child is to find out exactly which allergens are causing your annoying and even debilitating symptoms. How? With allergy testing Happy Heart Pediatrics can perform a broad range test to see which allergens are causing allergic reactions in your child. The test is virtually pain-free and take 15 minutes to complete. It is the best and quickest method to identify what causes allergic reactions in your child.

Are you tired of your child suffering from: Runny or stuffy nose Sneezing Itchy nose & itchy eyes Sore or itchy throat Red, itchy, or watery eyes Wheezing or coughing Chronic bronchitis Asthma Frequent ear infections Itchy skin, rash or hives Shortness of breath Frequent use of nasal spray

Book your child’s initial allergy appointment today!

	What are allergies? Allergies are over-reactions by your immune system to “allergens” (such as dust, pollens, grass, molds, or animal dander). The reactions caused may affect your lungs, nose, skin, eyes, cardiovascular system, or gastro-intestinal tract.
Why test for allergies? Testing allows your doctor to determine how likely it is that allergens play a role in your symptoms. Some conditions like non-allergic rhinitis, food allergy, infection or gastric reflux may produce symptoms identical to hay fever and be difficult to distinguish without testing. Testing also identifies your specific allergen triggers, which is critical for serious allergy sufferers as one of the keys to effective treatment is avoidance of those triggers. Testing is also the first step in formulating treatment therapy (immunotherapy) which is now being used in many medical fields and is proving an effective long term method of overcoming your allergic disease.
	What treatments are recommended? Immunotherapy is a natural remedy for allergies. It desensitizes your body to allergens through regular administration of gradually increasing doses (either oral drops or shots) which induce tolerance to the allergens responsible for your symptoms. Your immune system will begin to “ignore” these allergens, making your life much easier all year round– especially during allergy season!
Is it safe for children? Absolutely! Young children tolerate testing and treatment extremely well. This is the most effective path to a healthy future for children suffering from allergies. How often should your child be re-tested? After treatment begins, your child should be re-tested annually to help both you and your doctor monitor the improvements your child is making.
Types of Allergens
	POLLENS From trees, grass, weeds, and plants. The worst symptoms occur during pollinating season. Pollen flies in the air and can attach to your clothes and your pet’s fur. Even with frequent showers and vacuuming, tree pollen can cause trouble for allergy sufferers
	DUST MITES Dust mites float through the air, reproduce in carpeting and bedding, and cause year-round problems for allergy sufferers. Vacuuming, dusting with a damp cloth, washing bedding and changing pillows regularly can help, but dust mites are hard to avoid.
	ANIMAL DANDER It’s not actually animal hair that causes allergies, it’s a protein in their saliva. When animals clean themselves, the protein sticks to their fur which ends up sticking on clothes and furniture. Cockroaches also contribute to allergen particles around us from proteins in their saliva and feces becoming airborne.
	MOLD Causes allergy problems year round, especially in the wet seasons. Mold grows when airborne spores land on wet surfaces. Every room in your house with moisture is vulnerable. Water leaks can cause health problems if not fixed immediately.
	FOOD Foods provide the source for many common allergies. Food-induced allergic disorders may be first seen with a variety of symptoms affecting the skin, respiratory tract, gastro-intestinal tract, and/or cardiovascular system. Any food can trigger an allergic response.

Book your child’s initial allergy appointment today!

We now have pediatric flu shots in stock so schedule your child’s flu shot today!

September 4th, 2022

Cancellation, rescheduling and no-show policies.

Our time is precious just as the time you have with your kids is, so please see below for our scheduling policies.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. 15 minutes after scheduled appointment time
without being checked in patient will be considered a no-show. Also we appreciate a “running late” courtesy call if you are running a couple minutes late.

No-show charge = $50

Changes to appointments or cancellations need to be made with 24 hour notice or will be
considered a no-show and charged accordingly.

As of August 29, 2022
Due to circumstances beyond our control Happy Heart Pediatrics PLLC is at this time unable to see patients with the insurances of Medicaid and Tricare East. This is unfortunately due to issues on the insurance companies end that we have tried tirelessly to resolve and are still working on. Again, please know we are doing everything we can and will update you as soon as possible.

Announcing a Boerne area Diaper Drive supporting the Kendall County Women’s Shelter and the Texas Diaper Bank.

Did you know that 1 in 3 families across Texas don’t have access to an adequate supply of diapers?

And did you know that 38% of clients needing refuge at women’s shelters are children; 47% of those children are under 6 months old.

Starting 7/18 through 9/1 Happy Heart Pediatrics along with the Kendall County women’s shelter, and the the Texas Diaper Bank is excited announce that we will be hosting a diaper drive at our clinic location at 34910 Suite 501, Boerne, TX 78006. Please come by a drop off diapers for all ages and any unopened diaper supplies.

We also encourage everyone to bring a diaper donation if possible to Happy Heart Pediatrics Grand Opening on August 20. Let’s improve the lives of those around us together.

Happy Heart Pediatrics is now with Privia Health!

As of August 2, 2022, we are proud members of Privia Medical Group!